Frequency of Bacteriuria in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

DESPITE increasing recognition over the past twenty-five years of the importance of urinary-tract infections as a cause of chronic renal disease1 2 3 4 there are relatively few and contradictory clinical5 6 7 and autopsy4 , 8 9 10 11 data regarding the prevalence of these infections in the general population. One of the factors responsible for this has been uncertainty concerning the major diagnostic tool, culture of the urine, as a method for differentiating true infections from bacterial contamination of the lower genitourinary tract. This obstacle has been overcome by the recent revival of the use of quantitative cultures, and criteria for the significance of bacteriuria.12 13 14 15 16 17 On the basis . . .