mjl1717
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What is leukocyte esterase and what is it used for?
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| new_n_lost
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http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/003584.htm
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| bactitech
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It is one of many tests on a urinalysis dipstick. Results of a UA should be read as a whole rather than just one component at a time. For example, a "typical" UTI shows as increased LE, positive nitrate, and many WBC's in the microscopic. However, infection with some bugs, enterococci for example, doesn't always produce a positive nitrate. Also, patients with low WBC's to begin with won't always show positive LE's.
The key is - remember the patient and integrate all the lab work together. We do this all the time when evaluating urine cultures to try to decide if the bugs growing in low numbers are an infection or not. Nothing exists in a vacuum.
http://web2.iadfw.net/uthman/lab_test.html - for blood work interpretation, this page by Dr. Ed Uthman, a clinical pathologist quite active in the online community, is a good place to start. His home page is GREAT.
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