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A comparison of quantitative methods in the investigation of urinary infections
  1. R. A. Osborn,
  2. A. J. Smith
  1. Departments of Bacteriology and Therapeutics, the Royal Infirmary, Sheffield

    Abstract

    Bacterial colony counts and urinary white and non-squamous epithelial cell excretion rates have been compared in successive urine samples from 51 hospital patients. In all 19 cases with a colony count greater than 100,000/ml. the cell excretion rate was over 200,000/hour. Urinary cell concentrations correlate poorly with both colony counts and the cell excretion rate. It is concluded that simple culture of a properly taken urine sample combined with a measurement of the urinary cell excretion rate is adequate for the detection of most urinary infections. In the few instances where these methods do not provide a clear-cut result, colony counting techniques may be of value.

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