Benefits of the iQ200 automated urine microscopy analyser in routine urinalysis
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Daan van den Broek
Abstract
Background: Urine microscopic analysis is hampered by its lack in standardisation and semi-quantitative reports, resulting in limited reliability. Automation of urinalysis could overcome these problems.
Methods: We compared the performance of the iQ200 with traditional microscopy and strip analysis in routine urinalysis. A total of 1482 routine samples, positive in dipstick testing, were evaluated for erythrocytes, leukocytes, casts, dysmorphic erythrocytes and bacteria using the iQ200 and traditional microscopy. The results of 320 of these samples were linked to underlying urological pathology as well as results from bacterial culturing.
Results: Analytically, the iQ200 surpasses traditional microscopy. The identification of casts and dysmorphic erythrocytes in routine samples improves when using the iQ200, although the sub-classification of casts required well-trained technicians. The auto-classification of particles was least reliable for yeast and bacterial cocci. The quantitative reports, and therefore the use of precise cut-off points allowed earlier and improved detection of urinary tract pathology.
Conclusions: The performance of the iQ200 is equal to traditional microscopy, but it strongly improves the reliability of urinalysis by standardisation, quantitative reports and improved workflow. From a clinical point of view, renewed attention and improvement of routine urinalysis aids in the efficient detection of renal and urinary tract pathology.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2008;46:1635–40.
©2008 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
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Articles in the same Issue
- Editorial
- Biochemical markers in clinical cardiology: perspectives from present to future. 1st IFCC-Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Conference on Clinical Diagnosis and the Clinical Laboratory
- Highlight: Cardiovascular Biomarkers
- Reviews
- The clinical impact of the universal diagnosis of myocardial infarction
- Troponin revisited 2008: assay performance
- Standardization of troponin I measurements: an update
- Biochemistry of B-type natriuretic peptide – where are we now?
- Clinical relevance of non-cardiac determinants of natriuretic peptide levels
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- Fate of abstracts presented at the 2002 IFCC meeting
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- Single nucleotide polymorphisms in ABCG5 and ABCG8 genes in Chilean subjects with polygenic hypercholesterolemia and controls
- Paternal exclusion: allele sharing in microsatellite testing
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