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Routine Urine Culture in Febrile Young
Children
452-455
Correspondence
Chandrashekar GS
Asst. Professor, Dept. of Paediatrics, A.J. Institute of Medical
Sciences, Kuntikana, Mangalore-575004, India.
Ph: 09448857548, Facsimile numbers: 0824-2225541
E-mail address: drchandru2003@rediffmail.com
Objective: To assess the usefulness of the routine urine culture in febrile young children. Setting: Tertiary care teaching hospital Design: One year’s prospective study from October 2009 to September 2010 Patients: 334 febrile young children who were less than 5 years of age, who were admitted to the paediatric ward. Results: Out of 334 febrile children, 27 cases were diagnosed to have UTI , with overall estimated prevalence of 8.08%. Of the 27 patients with UTI, 17 (62.96%) cases had a provisional diagnosis which was other than UTI. One or the other symptoms which were referable to the urinary tract were present only in 52% of the patients with UTI. In 24% of the children with UTI, no othersign which was referable to the urinary tract was present, other than fever. A low yield was obtained in patients with respiratory infection (2.18%), neuroinfection (3.70%) and with enteric fever (3.84%). Of the 52 patients with gastroenteritis (GE), 5(9.61%) cases had UTI. Female patients with GE are particularly at an increased risk of UTI (23.52%). A high yield was obtained in patients with a provisional diagnosis of UTI (47.61%). Out of 31 patients who presented with fever with no apparent source, 7(22.58%) cases showed a significant growth on urine culture. Conclusion: Urinary tract infection Should be considered as a potential cause of fever in children below 5 years of age. A high yield was obtained whenever UTI was suspected, or in patients with fever with no apparent source and in female children with gastroenteritis.