Related Experiment Videos
Urinary tract infection in malnourished rural African children
1Shongwe Mission Hospital, South Africa.
Insights
Urinary tract infections are common in malnourished children under five. Routine investigation is crucial, as dipstick tests are unreliable for diagnosing these infections in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Malnutrition in children under five is a significant health concern.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can complicate the health status of malnourished children.
- Limited data exists on the prevalence and diagnostic methods for UTIs in this demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of urinary tract infections in children under five with malnutrition.
- To evaluate the reliability of dipstick screening tests versus traditional culture techniques for UTI diagnosis.
- To discuss antibiotic sensitivities in the context of surveillance and antimicrobial usage.
Main Methods:
- Prospective investigation of 134 children under five admitted with malnutrition over an 8-month period.
- Diagnosis of urinary tract infection using traditional culture techniques.
- Analysis of dipstick screening test predictability compared to culture results.
Main Results:
- A prevalence of 26.1% for proven urinary tract infections was found among the studied children.
- No significant variation in incidence rates was observed across different malnutrition categories.
- Dipstick screening tests were found to be unreliable for predicting urinary tract infections in this population.
Conclusions:
- Urinary tract infections are a common complication in children with malnutrition.
- Routine investigation for urinary tract infections is recommended for malnourished children.
- Traditional culture techniques are more reliable than dipstick tests for diagnosing UTIs in this group.
Abstract:
During an 8-month period from 1 September 1992 to 30 April 1993, 134 children less than 5 years of age admitted with all grades of malnutrition to a rural hospital were investigated for urinary tract infection. Thirty-five (26.1%) had proven infection. Incidence rates amongst malnutrition categories did not vary significantly. Antibiotic sensitivities with reference to ongoing surveillance and antimicrobial usage is discussed. The value of dipstick screening tests was analysed for predictability and found to be an unreliable alternative to traditional culture techniques. This study emphasizes that urinary tract infection in malnutrition is common and should be routinely investigated.