Incidence, risk factors and causative bacteria of urinary tract infections and their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns in toddlers and children: A report from two tertiary care hospitals

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections among children. It is noted that the risk of renal damage from UTI is the greatest in children younger than five years, thus early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of UTI in children attending pediatric outpatient clinics in Zagazig and Tanta University Hospitals as tertiary care hospitals. Furthermore, we attempted to determine related risk factors, isolate the organisms that cause UTI in children, and study their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 1200 toddlers and children, (754 boys and 446 girls) aged between 30 months and seven years attending the pediatric outpatient clinics of Zagazig and Tanta University Hospitals. All patient groups were subjected to full medical history, physical examination, dipstick analysis by using both nitrite and leukocyte esterase (LE) detectors, microscopic examinations, and urine culture for cases with the positive LE, positive nitrite dipstick test for urine or positive for both LE and nitrite. The incidence of UTI among children included in the current study was 7%. Positive LE was seen in 112 (9.3%), nitrite positivity was seen in 94 (7.8%), and both LE and nitrite positivity in 34 (2.8%). Escherichia coli was the most common organism. Cefotaxime and amikacin were the most common sensitive antibiotics to the isolates.