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The urine dipstick test of leukocyte esterase activity has recently become widely used as a screening test for pyuria. Investigators from Boston's Children's Hospital evaluated this test as a screen for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in 54 sexually active adolescent males.
In patients with clinical criteria suggestive of disease, (dysuria, discharge, or history of sexually transmitted disease), the dipstick test was 94 percent sensitive and 89 percent specific. The test costs about 17 cents and provides a result within two minutes.
The authors suggest that clinicians should use dipstick results and clinical history to screen sexually active adolescent males, and that patients with positive tests should undergo culture for N. …