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- Title
Urinary leukocyte esterase screening test for asymptomatic chlamydial and gonococcal infections in males.
- Authors
Shafer, M A; Schachter, J; Moscicki, A B; Weiss, A; Shalwitz, J; Vaughan, E; Millstein, S G
- Abstract
We evaluated the ability of the urinary leukocyte esterase test to predict culture-verified chlamydial and gonococcal urethritis among asymptomatic adolescent males. Nine hundred forty-eight sexually active males provided first-catch urine samples for esterase screening, and 76 (8%) tested positive (greater than or equal to 1+). Among 435 boys who agreed to undergo urethral culture, the esterase was positive in 66 (15%), Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 39 (9%), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from 14 (3%). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the esterase test were 72%, 93%, and 58% and 96%, respectively. Using the esterase test to screen asymptomatic males for urethritis, we identified 38 culture-verified infections that otherwise would have remained undetected. The urinary leukocyte esterase test is a noninvasive and cost-effective screening method to detect urethritis among asymptomatic adolescent males.
- Subjects
CHLAMYDIA infection diagnosis; GONORRHEA diagnosis; DIAGNOSTIC reagents &; test kits; CHLAMYDIA infections; CHLAMYDIA trachomatis; COMPARATIVE studies; COST effectiveness; ESTERASES; GONORRHEA; LEUCOCYTES; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL cooperation; NEISSERIA; RESEARCH; HUMAN sexuality; EVALUATION research; URETHRITIS; PREDICTIVE tests; DISEASE prevalence; ECONOMICS; DIAGNOSIS
- Publication
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 1989, Vol 262, Issue 18, p2562
- ISSN
0098-7484
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1001/jama.262.18.2562