Table 1.

Definitions for terms used to describe abnormal findings in urine analysis.

Term	Description	Definition	Details
Bacteriuria	Presence of bacteria in urine; density is expressed as colony forming units (cfu) organism per millilitre (mL)	Presence or absence of symptoms must be determined	Variables for the definition: method of sampling number of specimens cfu organism /mL gender
Asymptomatic bacteriuria	Isolation of a specified quantitative count of bacteria in an appropriately collected urine specimen obtained from a person without symptoms or signs referable to urinary infection	≥105 cfu of the same organism/mL in 2 consecutive clean voided urine specimens (midstream) for women, or 1 specimen (midstream) for men	If urine is obtained via catheterization, definition includes ≥102 cfu organism/mL in 1 specimen. In persons with indwelling urinary catheter, ≥103 cfu organism/mL in 1 specimen.
Pyuria	Presence of increased numbers of PMN* leukocytes in urine	No uniformly accepted definition (e.g., ≥103 WBC*/mL in non-centrifuged urine). Often referred to as marked leukocyturia	Terms pyuria and leukocyturia often used interchangeably
Leukocyturia	Presence of (undifferentiated) leukocytes in urine	≥10 leukocytes per microscopic field or positive leukocyte esterase result in a reagent strip test	The cut-off (number of leukocytes per microscopic field) can vary between laboratories
Acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women	A symptomatic bladder infection characterized by frequency, urgency, dysuria or suprapubic pain in a woman with a normal urinary tract	≥102 cfu/mL organism in voided urine or via catheterization obtained in urine from 1 specimen. In persons with indwelling urinary catheter, ≥103 cfu organism/mL in 1 specimen.	Absence of pain and tenderness in the costovertebral angle, no fever, no bacteraemia, no functional or structural abnormalities of the genitourinary tract

* PMN, polymorphonuclear; WBC, white blood cells