Urinary tract infection in general practice: direct antibiotic sensitivity testing as a potential diagnostic method.

Direct Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing (DST) is a rapid means of diagnosing urinary tract infection (UTI) and obtaining antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the infecting organisms. In this study 227 urine samples from general practice were analysed using this technique with those obtained using the standard laboratory method. DST was shown to be 94.6% sensitive, and 80.7% specific. Escherichia coli was the commonest infecting organism. Augmentin was the most effective antibiotic tested, all organisms tested in vitro, being susceptible. Direct Sensitivity Testing is rapid, inexpensive, easy to perform, highly sensitive and specific. It should be considered by general practitioners as an alternative to the problems and delays involved in sending urine samples to the laboratory and in awaiting the results.