RESULTS OF URINE DIPSTICK SCREENING TEST IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Objective: Renal diseases may present with proteinuria, hematuria and pyuria without any symptoms. The aim of the study is to determine of urinalysis abnormalities by urine dipstick screening program in healthy school-aged children. Material and Method: We evaluated results of urine dipstick tests of 1052 children (541 male, 511 female) between the ages of 9 and 10. A second urine dipstick test was performed on those students who had hematuria and/or proteinuria in the first test. Results: Abnormality in urine dipstick test was detected in a total of 137 (13%) children. Sixteen cases had isolated hematuria (1.5%), 22 cases isolated proteinuria (2.1%) and one case (0.1%) combined hematuria-proteinuria. In the second evaluation with the dipstick test, we determined that hematuria persisted only in 8 (0.8%) and proteinuria in 2 cases (0.2%). Additionally, 96 cases (9.1%) were positive for leucocyte-esterase, and 18 cases (1.7%) were nitrite positive in the first screening. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that prevalence of hematuria and proteinuria was reduced in the second urine dipstick screening. Therefore, asymptomatic patients with isolated proteinuria or hematuria should be re-evaluated with a urine dipstick. Our study suggests that with the help of screening tests in schoolaged children; hematuria, and proteinuria can be determined and this might be an indication for the asymptomatic period of a kidney disease.