Urinary tract infections in children: a review

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children are a common and challenging problem for the primary care physician and continue to be a cause of significant morbidity. Except for the neonatal period, UTIs occur most frequently in girls. The symptoms of UTI in the child may be obscure, and often a high index of suspicion is required. Diagnosis ultimately depends on the urine culture. Current concepts in the diagnosis and therapy of UTIs in children include the use of urine culture for initial diagnosis and home cultures for follow-up. Evidence fully supports the concept that even a single episode of documented bacteriuria, symptomatic or asymptomatic, should be investigated with an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG).