Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Support Group

there are more than one kind of UTI. the dipstick may not work for all of them.
when in doubt, call your doctor.

Not very accurate if the infection is in the cysts! Check out my post PKD seminar, it discusses that in the seminar. Every time I would go to the dr I had symptons but the dip test and clen catch would be neg, so they would assume no infection, WRONG! Only certain antibotics can treat an internal infection. The seminar lists these medications heck with your dr, print off the seminar and educate him! Maybe he doesn't know this information, mine didnt! Hope this helps!
Chasity

I've actually never heard of a dipstick test for UTIs. What do they check for? Not everyone is going to have the same substances present in their urine at the same time when they have a UTI, so depending on what the dipstick checks for, it could be absolutely useless.

My nephrologist always orders a clean catch and a culture along with a protein / creatinine ratio every time I get labs done and I'm presuming he would do the same in the event I thought I had a UTI (I'm one of those rare PKDers who doesn't get UTIs).

Cyst infections are actually less common than most people think and their symptoms mimic a kidney infection, not a UTI. But if they do occur they are serious and need to be treated. The are usually identified by CT scan (the cyst itself can be identified and treated directly depending on its location).

I'd definitely talk with your doctor about what the best method is for determining if you have a kidney infection. Better safe than sorry!

Thanks for your comments. I know about the cyst infection not showing up in urine tests if the cysts are not linked up to the rest of the urinary tract. I was suspecting an infection lower down in the tract. Now I am not confident of the result when my GP tells me there's no infection present from just doing a dipstick test. That's something else to fight for - a proper urine test. I get really weary of it sometimes. Thanks for the support.

I did some more research on the dipstick tests for UTIs on line and found that there are some that check for various substances in the urine that are more prevalent when an infection is present, such as leukocyte esterase or nitrites. In a very scientific and comprehensive longitudinal study and subsequent discussion that hurts my brain to even think about, the bottom line was the accuracy of the a negative test result was between 81% and 99%. They do however, emphasize that the patient history and symptoms MUST be taken into consideration and the dipstick is only one factor to consider when detemining whether a culture is needed or not.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticl...
It's a free subscription.

With your history of UTIs and PKD, I would have a serious discussion with your doctor about getting a culture done. You cannot afford to be in the 1-19% of patients who test negative but have an infection. You already have an underlying kidney disease, so you and your doctor need to work together to ensure your remaining kidney tissue stays as healthy as possible and if that means a urine culture every time you seem to have a UTI, then so be it.

Gentle hugs,
Ruth

Thanks Ruth. I'm just wondering, can the body fight off a UTI without antibiotics eventually? I know that there's a risk of it spreading to the kidneys and causing damage etc. but can you recover without medication? I tend towards the wait and see approach, largely because that's my GP's way. I often get these symptoms, which subside eventually on their own, but perhaps it's recurring because I never actually fully fight it off. She did the dipstick test last time, told me there was no infection, and told me to try cream for thrush! I know what that's like, and it isn't that! I feel she sees me as a bit of a pain really, and thinks it's psychological. It doesn't make me want to keep going back unless I absolutely have to. The other GPs at the practice are no different, and there's nowhere else to go. I guess I'll just have to go in there gritting my teeth if the symptoms come back.

Here's to no UTIs!