Usually doctors do not advise to decipher urinalysis by themselves. First, any business should be done by an expert, and secondly, it is important to evaluate all the indicators in a complex. But all the rules, as you know, there are exceptions.
And when the urine test of a child or adult showed the presence of nitrites, then almost certainly one should expect a bacterial infection of the genito-urinary tract.
The following bacteria can become causative agents: Priotus, Klebsiella, Escherichiacoli, Salmonella, Citrobacter, possibly Pseudomonas, enterococci, staphylococci. Often, nitrite in the urine is detected against a background of cystitis, pyelonephritis, intestinal infections, vaginitis.
What are nitrites, and where do they come from?
Nitrates and pathogenic microorganisms form nitrite in the urine. This means that if pathogenic bacteria enter the body, they convert nitrates( which enter the urinary tract with plant food and can normally be contained in the urine) into nitrites.
Thus, the determination of nitrite in the urine indicates that a bacterial infection develops in the genito-urinary tract. What exactly - the urologist can say, after carrying out all the necessary analyzes and studies( urine culture in the flora, ultrasound of the pelvic organs, a blood test, a urinalysis according to Nechiporenko).
How to pass the test correctly?
When examining urine, must comply with some important rules of :
- Antibiotic therapy should be discontinued or interrupted 3 days before the test, otherwise the results will not be reliable.
- To identify pathology, experts recommend that before the analysis there is cabbage, spinach or carrots.
- It is necessary to investigate the first portion of urine, since microorganisms restore NO3 to NO2 for a certain period of time, and in fresh urine their content is minimal.
Causes of urinary nitrite
Why do nitrite appear in urine, what does it mean? A positive test for nitrites indicates that bacteria are present in the urine in a significant amount. Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli, are more likely to give a positive test.
Based on the above, we can draw the following conclusions:
- The presence of nitrites in the urine almost always indicates the presence of an infectious process in the urinary tract. It can be cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, inflammation of the ureter, and the like.
- Their absence does not always exclude bacterial damage to the urinary tract.
In some cases it is possible to obtain a false negative result of the nitrite test:
- urine did not contact bacteria for a long time;
- high concentration of vitamin C or urobilinogen in the urine;
- bacteria that cause urinary tracts do not have enzymes capable of converting nitrates to nitrites.
Women are more likely to get bacteria into the bladder, since they have a shorter urethra. It is easier for bacteria to penetrate into the bladder. Some of the fair sex can face 3 times a year with a similar problem. Nitrite in the urine of a child - what to do?
If the assays are found in the urine of a child's nitrite and repeated studies have confirmed this, the doctor will first send the baby to other examinations to make sure there is an infectious process.
If such chemicals have been found in the body, it is worth consulting with the pediatrician regarding the list of products that are now contraindicated to the child. If there are no allergic reactions, the main emphasis should be made on the use of dietary meat and dairy products.
Nitrites in huge quantities can form several bacterial series, including staphylococci and enterococci - and this, in turn, gives rise to a new and more complex infection. For their detection, urine is taken to re-sow.
If your child is diagnosed with bacteriuria( an infectious disease), then the amount of nitrites in his urine exceeds the norm by dozens of times. In this case, as a treatment prescribed a weekly course of antibiotics, they do not allow the spread of the infection to the entire genitourinary system and the kidneys. In addition, as a supplement to treatment, a certain diet can be prescribed, based on the use of boiled vegetables and protein foods.