Urinary Tract Infections in ChildrenDr Aff EL-KhufashSpecialist Reistrar in !aediatricsIntroductionUrinary tract infections "UTI# are a co$$on and i$portant clinical pro%le$ in childhood& Upper urinary tract infections "ie' acute pyelonephritis# $ay lead to renal scarrin' hypertension' and end-stae renal disease& Di(cult on clinical rounds to distinuish cystitis fro$ pyelonephritis' particularly in youn children "those youner than ) years#!re*alenceThe o*erall pre*alence of UTI is appro+i$ately , percent in fe%rile infants&-hite children ha*e a t.o- to four-fold hiher pre*alence of UTI than do %lac/ children&0irls ha*e a t.o- to four-fold hiher pre*alence of UTI than do circu$cised %oys&-hite irls .ith a te$perature of 1234C ha*e a UTI pre*alence of 56 percent&!re*alence7lder children are $ore li/ely to present .ith urinary sy$pto$s in association .ith a UTI than youner children& 8icro%ioloyEscherichia coli is the $ost co$$on %acterial cause of UTI "9:;# 7ther ra$-neati*e %acterial pathoens include Kle%siella' !roteus' Entero%acter' and Citro%acter& 0ra$-positi*e %acterial pathoens include Staphylococcus saprophyticus' Enterococcus' and' rarely' Staphylococcus aureus&8icro%ioloy Viruses "e' adeno*irus' entero*iruses# and fungi "e' Candida spp' Asperillus spp' Cryptococcus neofor$ans' ende$ic $ycoses# are less co$$on causes of UTI in children

Appro+i$ately C: percent ha*e 36 percent had