++ protein & +++ leukocytes but sent on my way?

[larcarter]

Hi! Bit of a long story so bear with me!

I'm currently 28 weeks and this has been a nightmare pregnancy! Constant back and fourth trips to MAU for pains & bleeding, I've already been admitted 3 times this pregnancy for several nights at a time!

Anyway! I was contacting throughout Sunday night pretty much non stop, couldn't sleep through them and they were getting pretty intense, I had some stronger pain killers prescribed by midwife previously and had one of those which eased the pain enough for me to get an hour or so sleep! About 10am Monday I had some bleeding when wiping which was enough to push me to go back up to MAU (they're probably sick of me at this point!)

I go in and yes they agree I'm contracting but not dilating so nothing to worry about just keep up with the pain killers, it took me 4 hours to be seen and monitored initially & I was sent back into waiting room to wait for DR to review everything... waited another 2 hours and was told it's going to be another couple of hours or more before I see a doctor! By this point I needed to get home to my toddler so had to self discharge.

I read my online pregnancy notes when home and it showed ++ protein & +++ leukocytes which i know isn't great But every time I go in my urine is positive for protein and positive for leukocytes but they never seem bothered and never do anything about it? Is that normal?

When they have done your urine dip, do you know if they have sent a urine specimen to the lab? It is worth finding out if this has been done as this will be looked at for a UTI. If you experience any further contractions I would be back in contact with MAU for them to do this and for a Dr to review whether starting you on antibiotics for a UTI is worth doing.

Also protein in urine can be a sign of pre eclampsia but in a context with other symptoms. Contamination of urine with skin and things like discharge can also cause things to be present in a urine dip so it is possible they have been sent to lab but not grown an infection but no one has told you.

I appreciate it was a horrendously long wait at MAU but it being a bank holiday means they are on minimal staffing including Dr's where there may only be 1 junior Dr, 1 registrar and 1 consultant on call covering MAU, antenatal, delivery suite and postnatal so they won't have made you wait for no reason- they have to prioritise clinically who needs seeing the most urgently. Not easy when you have a toddler at home though I know.

Hope things settle down in your pregnancy and you can get some reassurance/answers on things soon!