The place of routine urine testing on admission to hospital

An audit of routine urine testing by dipsticks at a large private provincial hospital analysed 2294 patient records. No result was recorded in 12% of records. Abnormal but expected results were obtained in 9% of cases. Of the 4% of unexpectedly abnormal results, in only one-third of patients was the attending practitioner aware of these results and, in fewer than one-fifth of the patients, were further diagnostic tests performed. In not one case was treatment altered.