Bacteriuria and Urinary-Tract Infections in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

SIGNIFICANT bacteriuria, defined as more than 100,000 pathogenic bacteria per milliliter of urine, has been a surprisingly frequent finding in surveys of ward and clinic patients of a city hospital in the absence of symptomatic infection of the urinary tract.^{1 , 2} An association of asymptomatic bacteriuria with pyelonephritis has been considered.² The correlation of bacteriuria in bladder urine with unsuspected, active pyelonephritis at autopsy³ and the finding of asymptomatic bacteriuria before acute pyelonephritis of pregnancy⁴ suggest asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyelonephritis are related.Quantitative urine cultures are now performed in many hospital laboratories to assist the physician in the detection of bacteriuria. . . .