Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine dipstick test helps rule out bacterial belly infection in dogs
By Thomovsky, E J et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic accuracy of a urine reagent strip to identify bacterial peritonitis in dogs with ascites.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 60 dogs with fluid in their abdomen (ascites) were tested using a urine dipstick to check for bacterial peritonitis (a serious infection). The dipstick test showed that while it could help rule out bacterial infections when the result was negative, a positive result meant that further testing was needed to confirm an infection. This means that the dipstick can be a helpful first step, but it shouldn't be the only test used to diagnose this condition.
People also search for: dog ascites symptoms · bacterial peritonitis in dogs · urine dipstick test for dog infection
Abstract
The leukocyte esterase test pad on a urine dipstick has been used as a preliminary test for bacterial peritonitis in humans but has not previously been evaluated in dogs. Here, free abdominal fluid from 60 dogs was tested on the leukocyte esterase test pad and results were compared with culture and microscopic analysis. Depending on the 'gold standard' comparator, the dipstick had sensitivity of ~60-75%, specificity of ~91-92%, positive predictive value of ~69%, and negative predictive value of ~87-94%. Based on these data, it appears that the leukocyte esterase test pad is most useful for tentative identification of cases in which bacterial infection is unlikely. Therefore a negative test may aid in re-directing clinician attention to alternative diagnoses in dogs with free abdominal effusion, whereas a positive result implies the necessity for further diagnostic tests.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25447799/