In-out catheterization of young children with suspected urinary tract infection: a retrospective journal study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Accurate urine sample collection is crucial for diagnosing pediatric urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• In-out catheterization is a sterile, invasive technique used for obtaining urine samples in young children.
• Assessing the reliability of in-out catheterization compared to other methods is essential for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of in-out catheterization for diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children aged 0 to 24 months.
• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of in-out catheterization with adhesive bag urine samples.
• To provide evidence-based guidance for pediatric nurses regarding urine sample collection methods.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study analyzing medical records of 61 children (0-24 months) with suspected UTIs.
• Comparison of urine samples obtained via in-out catheterization and adhesive bags.
• Utilized dipstick analysis and kappa analysis for method comparison; urine cultures performed on catheterized samples.

Main Results:

• Urinary tract infection (UTI) was confirmed in 32 out of 61 children based on catheter urine cultures.
• A strong correlation was observed between high leucocyte levels (3+ or 4+) in catheterized urine and bacterial growth.
• In-out catheterization demonstrated high reliability in confirming UTIs in the studied pediatric population.

Conclusions:

• In-out catheterization is a reliable and effective method for obtaining diagnostic urine samples in children aged 0 to 24 months.
• The findings support the use of in-out catheterization as a preferred method for UTI diagnosis in young children.
• This study reinforces the importance of sterile, invasive techniques for accurate pediatric UTI diagnosis.