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Is it Normal to Have 8-10 Pus Cells In urine Analysis?

8-10 Pus cells in urine, key facts:

  • Having 8-10 pus cells in urine analysis can be normal and can be a sign of pyuria depending on several factors, such as the presence of UTI symptoms, the method of detection of pus cells, your age, and how the sample is collected.
  • Mild elevations of pus cells in urine (less than 10 cells/HPF) is a common finding in those who are not aware of the standard sampling methods.
  • A mild increase in pus cells in urine above the cut-off value (5 cells/HPF) may indicate UTI, especially if you have UTI symptoms.
  • Sterile pyuria is a medical term describing pus cells in urine with no evidence of UTI. It affects about 14% of women.
  • The causes of pyuria are numerous, such as the presence of a stone in the kidney or any other part of the urinary tract, interstitial cystitis, inflammatory diseases, recent antibiotic use, or urinary tract cancer.
  • Not all cases of pus cells in urine need treatment. Your doctor may need to follow up on pus cells or do further testing to diagnose the cause.

[1] What is the normal range of pus cells in urine?

The normal range of pus cells in urine is about topically less than 5 cells per HPF (higher power field.

However, pus cells between 5 or 8 and 10 cells are also considered in the “grey area.”

Having 8-10 pus cells in urine analysis can be normal and can be a sign of pyuria depending on several factors, such as the presence of UTI symptoms, the method of detection of pus cells, your age, and how the sample is collected.

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Different definitions of pyuria will give you a clue about different reference ranges of pus cells in urine. Pyuria (pus in urine) is defined as (reference):

  • Presence of 3 or more pus per HPF (High Power Field) of a urine microscopic examination of a urine sample (without centrifugation).
  • Presence of 10 or more white blood cells per Cubic millimeter in a urine specimen.
  • Positive leucocyte esterase by urine dipstick cells.
  • Positive gram stain of a urine specimen (unspun or uncentrigugated sample).

According to this medical definition, 8-10 pus cells are considered pyuria if it is calculated by (HPF). On the other hand, 8 to 10 pus cells in urine are considered normal if calculated by cubic mm.

[2] Is it normal To have 8-10 pus cells in urine?

According to this medical definition, 8-10 pus cells are considered pyuria if it is calculated by (HPF). On the other hand, 8 to 10 pus cells in urine are considered normal if calculated by cubic mm.

Also, sampling error is a very common cause of slightly elevated pus cells in urine (less than 10 cells/HPF). Possible different mechanisms of sample contamination are discussed in the next section.

8-10 pus cells in urine are considered normal when it is not associated with urinary tract infection (UTI) or other symptoms, and the culture tests are negative. However, a follow-up of pus cells is needed to exclude diseases that lead to (sterile pyuria).

Sterile pyuria is a condition in which you may have pus cells in urine without evidence of UTI in bacterial culture. It can be caused by several conditions (discussed in the next section).

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[3] Causes of Mild Pyuria (8-10 pus cells).

8 to 10 pus cells in urine can be due to the following:

[A] Sampling error (The most common cause),

Mild elevations of pus cells in urine (less than 10 cells/HPF) is a common finding in those who are not aware of the standard sampling methods.

If you have 8-10 pus cells/HPF in urine, this can be due to suboptimal handling of the urine sample. Common causes include:

  • Unclean container.
  • **Contamination from the skin around the urethra:**external urethra and genitalia should be cleaned with an antiseptic solution before taking the urine sample.
  • Contamination by genital secretions (in women).
  • Not spreading the labia in females while taking the sample.
  • **The sample is not a midstream (**taking a sample from the initial urine stream will increase the likelihood of false positive pyuria).

[B] Mild UTI

A mild increase in pus cells in urine above the cut-off value (5 cells/HPF) may also indicate UTI, especially if you have UTI symptoms such as:

  • Burning sensation during urination (painful urination).
  • Frequent peeing of small amounts of urine.
  • Sudden urge to pee.
  • Suprapubic (bladder) or loin (kidney) pain.
  • Turbid urine.
  • Blood (red) or blood clots in urine (in some cases).

Your doctor will typically order a culture and sensitivity test to confirm UTI. A positive culture test typically confirms the presence of UTI as a cause of the few pus cells in urine.

3 to 5 days of antibiotics (such as Nitrofurantoin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) is the treatment of choice for UTI.

[C] Sterile Pyuria.

Sterile pyuria is a medical term describing pus cells in urine with no evidence of UTI. Sterile pyuria is a very common condition. It affects about 14% of women, which may be why you have few pus cells in your urine.

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The causes of pyuria are numerous. But we can classify them into two broad categories.

A. Infectious causes: the causes of infection is usually atypical bacteria, virus, or yeast that is not detectable by the standard culture methods.

B. Non-infectious causes: Common causes include:

  • Presence of a stone in the kidney or any other part of the urinary tract.
  • Interstitial cystitis.
  • Inflammatory diseases.
  • Recent antibiotic use.
  • Urinary tract cancer.

The full list of infectious and non-infectious causes of sterile pyuria is in the table below (reference).

https://doctor-explains.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iScreen-Shoter-Google-Chrome-230319194606.jpg

Learn More About Steril Pyuria.

[4] When to treat mild pyuria (8-10).

Not all cases of pus cells in urine need treatment. 8-10 pus cells in a urine analysis may be considered normal if you don’t have any symptoms of UTI. However, your doctor may need to follow up on pus cells or do further testing to diagnose the cause.

Your doctor will treat such a number of pus cells as a UTI when there are:

  • Positive urine culture test.
  • You have symptoms and signs consistent with UTI.
  • Positive leucocyte esterase in urine analysis.

More: 8 Best Remedies to Reduce Pus Cells in Urine.