Background: The detection of asymptomatic bacteriuria in preadolescent girls may be important due to its effects on subsequent pregnancies.
Objective: To describe the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in preadolescent girls and the value of the nitrite test for screening.
Material and methods: Cross-sectional study in girls aged 9 to 13 years. Bacteriuria was defined as the growth of > 100,000 CFU/mL in 2 consecutive urine specimens.
Results: Three hundred and twenty seven girls were included. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was found in 7 girls, so the prevalence was 2.1% (95% CI, 1 to 4.4%). Escherichia coli was the isolated agent in all the cases. Focused interrogatory found history of urinary symptoms in 6 girls. The utility values of the nitrite test were: sensitivity, 1; specificity, 0.9; positive likelihood ratio, 10; and negative predictive value, 1.
Conclusions: The prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in preadolescent girls in this Mexican study is similar to the one reported internationally; it is reasonable to consider its early detection to avoid its effects on future pregnancies. Nitrite test seems to be good for screening.