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An improved urine collection pad method: a randomised clinical trial.
1Department of Child Health, Rotherham General Hospital, Rotherham, Yorkshire, UK.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|July 23, 2004
Summary
Changing the urine collection pad (UCP) every 30 minutes significantly reduces bacterial contamination in samples from young children, improving the accuracy of diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs). This simple modification enhances diagnostic reliability for infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Microbiology
- Diagnostic Methods
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in young children.
- Accurate urine sample collection in infants is challenging due to contamination.
- The urine collection pad (UCP) method is used but can be prone to bacterial contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess a modified urine collection pad (UCP) method for reducing bacterial contamination in infant urine samples.
- To improve the reliability of UTI diagnosis in young children using UCPs.
Main Methods:
- Febrile children under 2 years with suspected UTI were randomized into two groups.
- Single UCP group: UCP remained in the diaper until urine passed.
- Replaced UCP group: UCP was replaced every 30 minutes until urine passed. A moisture alarm signaled urine passage.
Main Results:
- Satisfactory samples were obtained in 68 out of 80 children.
- Heavy mixed bacterial growth (>10^5 organisms/ml) was significantly lower in the replaced UCP group (3%) compared to the single UCP group (29%) (p=0.008).
- No adverse effects were reported from the moisture alarm.
Conclusions:
- Replacing the UCP every 30 minutes drastically reduces heavy mixed bacterial contamination.
- This modification substantially increases the confidence in excluding UTI diagnoses from UCP results.
- The improved UCP method is a simple, clinically valuable tool for diagnosing and excluding UTI in infants in various healthcare settings.