Urinary tract infections in children

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common problem in childhood. The clinical presentation is variable depending on age and whether there is pyelonephritis or cystitis. UTI are diagnosed by culturing an appropriately collected urine sample. Most children with UTI can be managed safely with oral antibiotics irrespective of whether they have cystitis or pyelonephritis. Following a single UTI a significant proportion of children will develop recurrent UTI and many of these children will have identifiable risk factors. Treating children with recurrent UTI with repeated courses of antibiotics or long term prophylactic antibiotics puts patients at risk of infections with multi-resistant organisms. Furthermore recurrent UTI are also associated with the risk of renal parenchymal damage with long term health implications. It is therefore essential that management of children with UTI focuses not only on early diagnosis and treatment but also on UTI prevention.