OBJECTIVE To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a two-step clinical rule using symptoms, signs and dipstick testing to guide the diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI) in acutely unwell young children presenting to primary care. METHODS Decision analytic model synthesising data from a multicentre, prospective cohort study (DUTY) and the wider literature to estimat...

INTRODUCTION Considering the unknown situation regarding canine visceral leishmaniasis in Garanhuns, this study had the aim of investigating occurrences of anti-Leishmania spp antibodies in domesticated and partially domesticated dogs, and the possible risk factors involved. METHODS In the first phase of the study, 256 blood samples were collected from dogs and subjected to the indirect fluor...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether spot urine pH measured by dipstick is an accurate representation of 24 hours urine pH measured by an electrode. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed urine pH results of patients who presented to the urology stone clinic. For each patient we recorded the most recente pH result measured by dipstick from a spot urine sample that preceded the result of...

BACKGROUND Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common sources of infection in children under five. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is important to reduce the risk of renal scarring. Rapid, cost-effective, methods of UTI diagnosis are required as an alternative to culture. METHODS We conducted a systematic review to determine the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests for detecting UTI...

PURPOSE Urinary pH is an important factor linked to renal stone disease and a useful marker in the treatment of urolithiasis. Although the gold standard for measuring urinary pH utilizes a glass electrode and a pH meter, at present dipstick testing is largely used to estimate urinary pH. However, the accuracy and precision of this method may be insufficient for making clinical decisions in pati...

BACKGROUND The influence of albuminuria and urinary pH on the development of contrast-induced acute kidney disease (CI-AKI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after elective coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown. METHODS CI-AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine >26.4 µmol/L or ≥50% of baseline value within 48 hours after c...

BACKGROUND 24-h urine protein is traditionally used as a gold standard method for protein estimation. Because of the operational difficulty, there is the necessity to use rapid, convenient, and reliable method of proteinuria estimation. AIM We carried out this study to compare the two rapid methods of protein estimation: dipstick method and spot urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) with that...