Urinary screening abnormalities in antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected outpatients and implications for management--a single-center study in South Africa.

Few urinary screening studies have been performed to determine the incidence of urinary abnormalities in antiretroviral therapy-naive, HIV-infected outpatients. From published data, the incidence appears to be high, particularly when compared with populations outside sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, urinary screening in antiretroviral therapy clinics is not routinely practiced. The aim of this descriptive study was to screen antiretroviral therapy-naive, HIV-infected outpatients attending the HIV clinic for urinary abnormalities, namely leukocyturia, microscopic hematuria, and microalbuminuria/proteinuria. This study showed that 84% of the screened population had AIDS (CD4 count < 200 cells/ mm3), and the incidence of abnormalities on urinary dipstick testing was high: 30% had leukocyturia, 33% had microscopic hematuria, and 44% had microalbuminuria/proteinuria. In patients with leukocyturia, an infective organism was cultured in only 29.1% of cases, predominantly Escherichia coli (70%) with sterile leukocyturia comprising the remainder. There may be an association with tuberculosis (TB) or sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the sterile leucocyturia group, but this remains to be confirmed. In those with a culture positive result the most common organism was E. coli (70%), which exhibited 90% resistance to cotrimoxazole, demonstrating that cotrimoxazole prophylaxis is not effective to prevent urinary tract infection in this group. On the basis of these findings, it has been proposed that urinary screening be considered standard of care in HIV clinics in South Africa. An algorithm has been proposed for use in antiretroviral therapy clinics in South Africa to guide clinicians regarding the cost-effective management of urinary dipstick abnormalities.