Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine Gram stain detects dog bladder infections better than routine
By Way, Leilani Ireland et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2013·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of routine urinalysis and urine Gram stain for detection of bacteriuria in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 103 dogs had urine samples tested to see how well a special stain (Gram stain) could detect bacteria compared to a standard urine test. The Gram stain was found to be much better at identifying bacterial infections in the urine, with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 100%. This means it was very accurate in confirming the presence of bacteria. The study suggests that using the Gram stain can help veterinarians quickly identify urinary infections while waiting for more detailed culture results.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of performing urine Gram stain for detection of bacteriuria compared to routine urine sediment examination and bacterial aerobic urine culture. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Urine samples acquired via cystocentesis through convenience sampling from 103 dogs presenting to a tertiary referral institution. INTERVENTIONS: All samples underwent routine urinalysis, including sediment examination, as well as urine Gram stain and quantitative bacterial aerobic urine culture. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The urine Gram stain demonstrated improved sensitivity (96% versus 76%), specificity (100% versus 77%), positive predictive value (100% versus 83%), and negative predictive value (93% versus 69%) when identifying bacteriuria, compared to routine urine sediment examination. CONCLUSIONS: The urine Gram stain is highly sensitive and specific when detecting the presence of bacteria in canine urine samples. Gram staining should be considered when bacteriuria is highly suspected and requires rapid identification while bacterial culture is pending.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23317004/