[Reliability of the culture of a clean-voided specimen in geriatric patients].

The validity of clean-voided urine culture results was investigated in 100 consecutive admissions to the geriatric ward of a general hospital. Culture of clean-voided urine was compared with urethral catheter specimens as reference. Clean-voided and catheter specimens were obtained in 71 cases. The investigation included 67 cases. One clean-voided specimen was false positive. Two cultures were false negative. Three of the four patients with a urinary tract infection did not present with the typical symptoms, but with a general decline in physical and/or mental function. In this population a clean-voided urine culture is reliable enough to confirm the diagnosis of urinary tract infection.