Exploring the association between the degree of pyuria and urinary tract infections

The importance of this study is that it explores the optimal range of white cell count that defines a clinically significant urinary tract infection. The traditional cutoff of more than 10 white blood cells per microliter is often used; however, we now recognize that using this cutoff may not accurately represent true urinary infections, especially in certain populations such as young women. The uncertainty in the optimal white cell count cutoff has widespread implications. For the clinician, it may lead to unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics for patients who do not have a Urinary tract infection, such as asymptomatic bacteriuria. For the microbiology laboratory, it may lead to unnecessary workup and culture of urine samples that are not clinically relevant. Many studies to date have attempted to define an optimal value for urinary white cell count; however, not many have incorporated relevant clinical data, which this study has.