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Does UTI cause prolonged jaundice in otherwise well infants?
Tanzila Chowdhury1, Hamudi Kisat, Kjell Tullus
1Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK, tanzilachowdhury@hotmail.co.uk.
European Journal of Pediatrics
|February 10, 2015
Summary
Urinary tract infections (UTI) in infants often present with non-specific symptoms like prolonged jaundice. This study found no increased UTI risk in jaundiced infants, suggesting routine urine testing may not be necessary.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Urinary tract infections (UTI) in infants present with non-specific symptoms.
- Historically, prolonged hyperbilirubinaemia was considered a symptom of UTI, but modern studies show conflicting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prolonged jaundice and UTI in infants.
- To determine the necessity of routine urine testing in infants with prolonged jaundice.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of routine urine samples from 319 infants experiencing prolonged jaundice.
- Evaluation of UTI findings in infants with and without other UTI symptoms.
Main Results:
- No convincing evidence of UTI was found in any of the infants studied, despite prolonged jaundice.
- One infant treated with antibiotics showed no UTI confirmation after multiple urine cultures.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged jaundice alone, without other UTI symptoms, does not appear to be a reliable indicator of UTI in infants.
- Routine urine culture is likely not an appropriate investigation for infants with prolonged jaundice and no other specific UTI symptoms.
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