Final answer:
A nurse should expect the urinalysis of a preschool child admitted with UTI and dehydration to show white blood cells, red blood cells, bacteria, possibly positive nitrites, and elevated specific gravity due to dehydration. Urine culture would confirm and guide treatment for the UTI.
Step-by-step explanation:
A preschool child is being admitted to the hospital with dehydration and a urinary tract infection (UTI). The urinalysis result that a nurse should expect with these conditions would likely show the presence of white blood cells, indicating inflammation or infection, red blood cells, hinting at a possibility of injury or inflammation in the urinary tract, and bacteria, which are the cause of the UTI. The urinalysis may also show a positive result for nitrites, which are produced by certain types of bacteria that cause UTIs, and leukocyte esterase (LE), indicative of white blood cells in the urine.
In understanding urine test results, recognizing that dehydration can concentrate the urine, potentially increasing the numbers of observable elements such as cells and bacteria. Elevated specific gravity of the urine can also indicate dehydration. Therefore, it's important for the healthcare provider to interpret these results in the context of the child's clinical signs and symptoms.
Furthermore, the UTI, especially if severe or accompanied by fever, may be more likely if the urinalysis shows not only the presence of bacteria but also a significant quantity of white blood cells, which fight infections. However, the ultimate confirmation of a UTI comes from a urine culture, which can identify the specific bacteria causing the infection and guide antibiotic treatment.