Pyuria resident survival guide

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Overview

Pyuria is a urinary condition characterized by a high number of white blood cells in the urine. It is generally characterized as the presence of 10 or more white blood cells per cubic millimeter in a sample of urine, 3 or more white cells per high-power field of unspun urine, a positive result on Gram's staining of an unspun urine specimen, or a urinary dipstick test that is positive for leukocyte esterase. Pyuria most commonly occurs in urinary tract infections (UTI) and/or sepsis. Other causes include sterile pyuria, STDs, pneumonia, interstitial cystitis, kidney stones, pelvic infections and urinary fistulas. Long-term usage of some medications, including aspirin, diuretics, nitrofurantoin, PPIs and NSAIDs, induces pyuria. There may be visible changes in the urine, which may appear cloudy or thick or look like pus.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

Life-threatening causes of pyuria include

• Sepsis

Common Causes

• Sterile Pyuria
  • STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus infection, syphilis and HIV
  • Viral Infections such as adenovirus, BK polyomavirus, and cytomegalovirus
  • Genitourinary tuberculosis
  • Fungal infection such as Candida albicans
  • Parasitic infection such as Trichomonas vaginalis
• Interstitial cystitis
• Painful bladder syndrome
• Pelvic infections
• Intra-abdominal infections
• Radiation cystitis
• Pneumonia
• Foreign bodies in the urinary tract
• Transvaginal mesh
• Urinary fistulas
• Intrinsic renal diseases
• Renal transplant rejection
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Kidney stones
• Autoimmune diseases, such as Kawasaki disease

Diagnosis

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of pyuria.

Patient with Pyuria

Patient with pelvic pain, urinary symptoms and urethral symptoms

Patient with fever, systemic symptoms, urinary symptoms, abdominal or pelvic pain

Evaluate for: STDs, Prostatitis, PID

Reassess for bacterial infection by means of aerobic and anaerobic culture

If not detected, consider: Urinary stone, Foreign body, Interstitial cystitis, Bladder tumor, Schistosomiasis

No bacteria detected

Evaluate for: Tuberculosis If patient is a immigrant from tuberculosis endemic country Fungal infection If patient is immunocompromised, check for candida, aspergillus or cryptococcus infection

If no infection detected, consult with infectious disease specialist or nephrologist

Treatment

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the treatment of pyuria. It typically depends on the specific cause of pyuria.

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

NAAT with first-catch urine sample

Positive

Negative

Gonorrhea

Chlamydia

Evaluate for other causes

Ceftriaxone 250mg Intramuscularly and either Azithromycin 1g Orally Doxycycline 100mg Orally twice a day for 7 days

Azithromycin 1g Orally Doxycycline 100mg Orally twice a day for 7 days Alternatively Erythromycin 500mg Four times a day for 7 days

Fungal Infections

Antifungal drugs: Fluconazole, Posaconazole, Echinocandins and Amphotericin B

Candida albicans: Fluconazole 100 mg PO qd for 2-5 days

If the patient has coexisting diabetes mellitus or immunosuppression

Non-albicans Candida: Amphotericin B 0.1 mg/kg/day IV for 2-5 days

More than one Antifungal drugs + Antibiotics

Renal Tuberculosis

Isoniazid 300 mg PO qd for 2 months AND Rifampicin 450-600 mg qd for 2 months AND Ethambutol 15-25 mg/kg PO qd for 2 months AND Pyrazinamide 1500 mg for 2 months THEN Isoniazid 300 mg PO qd for 4-6 months AND Rifampicin 450-600 mg qd for 4-6 months

Do's

• The content in this section is in bullet points.

Don'ts

• The content in this section is in bullet points.

References

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