[Experiences with the Mikruvid methylene blue reduction test in the diagnosis of bacteriuria. A contribution to the trial of a screening procedure].

A bacteriuria tablet test based on methyl-blue reduction was examined for its reliability as screening method for the recognition of infections of the urinary tract. 860 urine specimens of male and female patients were investigated which had been got before the beginning of an antibiotic therapy. Apart from simple handling and little expenses the tablet test distinguishes itself by a sensitivity of 99.3% in infected urines with numbers of germs = 10(5) K/ml urine and 96% in the urine specimens infected by pathogenic germs abd a number of germs of 5 X 10(4)--10(5) K/ml urine, respectively. Contamination germs are in most cases suppressed by the tablet test. The specificity in our investigation material is about 97.2%. In a positive result of the reaction it is possible to send the specimens for the differentiation of germs and for the antibiogram directly to the nearest bacteriological laboratory. This test gives the possibility systematically to control endangered groups of persons in large quantity and to begin an aimed therapy in significant bacteriuria without any greater delay according to the findings of the antibiogram.