Evaluation of the Sysmex UF-1000i Urine Analyzer as a Screening Test to Reduce the Need for Urine Cultures for Urinary Tract Infection

AbstractBackground: We evaluated the Sysmex UF-1000i flow cytometer as a screening test for urinary tract infections (UTI) and to reduce the need for bacterial cultures. Methods: By comparing the test results for 308 urine samples with quantitative urine cultures, we established the cutoff criteria for UF-1000i. A bacterial cutoff value of 160/microL provided the best discrimination for UTI, with a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 83.2% compared with a urine culture. It was possible to forgo 54.9% of cultures with 10% false-negative results. Results: With a bacterial cutoff value of 10/microL, the sensitivity was improved to 100%, but the specificity declined to 36.8%, and 24.3% of the cultures could be avoided without any false-negative results. Conclusion: By comparing the test results generated by UF-1000i with those generated by UF-100, we concluded that UF-1000i is better than UF-100 in reducing the need for bacterial cultures. In conclusion, UF-1000i would improve the efficiency of the routine microbiology laboratory and reduce the need for urine cultures for UTI, especially for those induced by bacteria. Keywords: urinary tract infection, UF-1000i, UF-100, bacterial count, WBC count