"Urinary Tract Infection In Infancy And Childhood"

Abstract

• The prevalence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in febrile children younger than two years varies from <1 to 16 percent depending upon age, sex, circumcision status in boys, and race/ethnicity (table 4). • The prevalence of UTI in older children with urinary tract symptoms and/or fever is approximately 8 percent. • Escherichia coli is the most common bacterial cause of UTI. • A variety of host factors influence the predisposition to UTI in children. These include female sex, genetic factors, urinary tract anomalies, bladder and bowel dysfunction, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), sexual activity, and bladder catheterization in addition to those mentioned above for febrile young children (eg, lack of circumcision, temperature >39° C [102.2°F]). • Bladder and bowel dysfunction is an important and often overlooked factor in the pathophysiology of UTI in children. It is characterized by an abnormal elimination pattern (frequent or infrequent voids, urgency, infrequent stools), bladder and/or bowel incontinence, and withholding maneuvers.