In a primary care study of urinary tract infections (UTIs) performed 2008 in Uppsala County, Sweden, 43% of the patients were culture negative. In order to investigate the background to the observed overdiagnosis of UTI, study invitations were sent to the previously included patients. A total of 256 patients (88% women) approved to participate. Patient charts and recorded laboratory data were reviewed. Two or more of the cardinal symptoms were reported in 53% of the women and in 19% of the men. A dipstick test was performed in 93% of the consultations. The highest positive predicted values in women had a positive nitrite test (95%, 95% CI 87; 99) and dysuria in combination with urgency (81%, 95% CI 72; 88). Seventy-one percent of the women who fulfilled the symptom criteria received an antibiotic prescription directly, 87% of these had a positive culture. The drug of choice was pivmecillinam for women (51%) and quinolones (50%) for men. The treatment duration was too long for the women; 68% were treated for ≥7 days. In conclusion, the adherence to national guidelines/recommendations was inadequate. To reduce the selection of multiresistant bacteria, an improvement of the use of diagnostic criteria/tools and antibiotic drugs in primary care is necessary.
Keywords: Urinary tract infection; dipstick test; guidelines; primary care; urine culture.
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