For the study, researchers obtained fresh urine samples daily over 16 weeks from a total of more than 687 elderly individuals. Implementing a reward system, the dogs were trained to detect urine samples that contained bacteriuria. All canines in the study performed at or near 100 percent accuracy and were able to detect low counts of bacteria in the samples.
The study results suggest an alternative early-stage UTI detection method for patients with neurological conditions and the elderly. Detection is often challenging in these patients, which can result in late diagnosis and more serious conditions like sepsis or pyelonephritis. Early detection could potentially widen the scope of treatment options.
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