Urinary tract infection in infants with unexplained fever: a collaborative study

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Urology

Background:

• Unexplained fever in infants is a common clinical challenge.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a significant cause of fever in infants.
• The diagnostic yield of urine cultures in febrile infants requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of UTIs in infants with unexplained fever.
• To compare UTI rates between febrile and asymptomatic infants.
• To assess the clinical utility of urine cultures in febrile infants.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative study involving nine centers.
• Urine cultures were performed on 501 infants aged 0 to 2 years.
• Infants were categorized into febrile (n=193) and asymptomatic (n=312) groups.

Main Results:

• The confirmed UTI rate was 4.1% in febrile infants versus 0.3% in asymptomatic infants.
• All UTIs occurred in girls, with rates of 7.4% in febrile girls and 0.7% in asymptomatic girls.
• The UTI rate in febrile girls was significantly higher than in asymptomatic girls (P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• The findings support the routine urine culture for infant girls with unexplained fever.
• Early diagnosis and treatment of UTIs in infants are crucial.
• Targeted urine culturing can improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.