{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01753202966958867, 'fraction_numerical': 0.005394470667565745, 'mean_word_length': 5.235294117647059, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The Griess Test: An Inexpensive Screening Test for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Pregnancy

EDITORIAL COMMENT: We accepted this paper for publication, even though the test it describes is not new (A), to remind practitioners that this is a method for screening women for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy without the expense of culturing a mid‐stream specimen of urine. The Griess test will be more familiar to most readers as the detection of urinary nitrates, which is possible using commercially available dipsticks without the necessity for the preparation of the Griess reagent. These dipsticks often also incorporate a test for leucocyte esterase activity. Whilst the individual specificities of the urinary nitrites and leucocyte esterase activity are probably too low to be used as sole screening tests for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy, the combination of the tests (either test abnormal) has a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 95% when compared with formal urine culture (B). The dipstick test is approximately 1/100th the cost of urine culture, so those practitioners who do not perform a urine culture at the booking visit because of cost may wish to consider testing urine for the presence of nitrites and leucocyte esterase activity, and reserving urine culture for those positive for one of the screening tests. Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy is associated with a clear and significant decrease in the risk of preterm delivery (C).