Rapid detection of bacteriuria in bacteriological routine laboratory: comparison between bioluminescence method and culture techniques.

Results of a comparative study for the detection of significant bacteriuria (greater than 10(5)/ml) under routine conditions in 300 urine samples were reported. The urine specimens were obtained from patients of different clinical departments of our university hospital. Only midstream urines were investigated. The results from ATP determination with bioluminescence, quantitative determination of colony forming units and a semiquantitative method with standard loop were compared. The obtained data with different methods show a good correlation. Only four cases (1.3 per cent) were classified false negative and 10 urines (3.3 per cent) false positive with the bioluminescence method. In contrast to the conventional methods the results from bioluminescence assay can be obtained within 30 min.