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Intrarenal Injection of Escherichia coli in a Rat Model of Pyelonephritis
Published on: July 18, 2017
[Acute pyelonephritis in children]
1Département de pédiatrie, CHU, Grenoble.
Insights
Diagnosing pyelonephritis in infants requires reliable urine collection methods to avoid contamination. Treatment involves specific antibiotic regimens based on age, with follow-up testing to ensure effectiveness and prevent recurrence.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Nephrology
Context:
- Pyelonephritis in children can lead to severe complications and kidney damage.
- Accurate diagnosis in neonates and infants is challenging due to urine sample contamination.
- Urinary tract abnormalities are common in pediatric pyelonephritis cases.
Purpose:
- To outline diagnostic challenges and reliable urine collection techniques for pediatric pyelonephritis.
- To detail age-specific antibiotic treatment strategies for upper urinary tract infections in children.
- To emphasize the importance of imaging and follow-up for managing pediatric pyelonephritis.
Summary:
- Reliable urine collection, such as bladder puncture, is crucial for diagnosing pyelonephritis in young children.
- Imaging studies like ultrasonography and cystography are essential for identifying urinary tract abnormalities.
- Treatment protocols vary by age, involving parenteral antibiotics for infants and oral or parenteral options for older children, followed by prophylaxis to prevent recurrence.
Impact:
- Improved diagnostic accuracy for pediatric pyelonephritis, especially in neonates and infants.
- Standardized, age-appropriate treatment guidelines reduce complications and sequelae.
- Early detection and management of underlying urinary tract abnormalities prevent recurrent infections and preserve renal function.
Abstract:
In children, pyelonephritis (or upper urinary tract infection) exposes to systemic complications and renal sequelae. The diagnosis rests on cytobacteriological examination of urine, but its results are difficult to interpret in neonates and small infants due to the possible contamination of urine collected in bags. It is recommended to repeat samplings in order to confirm a positive result or to collect the urine by a reliable technique such as puncture of the bladder. In 50% of the cases urinary infection reveals a urinary tract abnormality to be localized in all cases by ultrasonography and cystography completed, if there is any doubt, by intravenous urography. In infants younger than 18 months antibiotic therapy consists of a third generation cephalosporin administered, jointly with an aminoside, by the parenteral routes for at least 10 days. Older children with a better tolerance of the infectious syndrome may be treated with a betalactam antibiotic (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or cephalosporin) injected alone or with cotrimoxazole administered orally. The effectiveness of treatment is tested by a bacteriological examination of the urine 48 hours after the end of therapy. Antibiotic prophylaxis to avoid recurrences is prescribed after the curative treatment until cystography is performed.
Related Concept Videos
Urinary Tract Infection II: Pathophysiology
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Acute Pyelonephritis I: Introduction
Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management
Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology
Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention

