PREVALENCE OF CULTURE-PROVEN URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69723/njms.04.04.0643Keywords:
Urinary Tract Infections; Child;, Bacteriuria;, Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology;, PakistanAbstract
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in children. If untreated or mismanaged, they can lead to renal scarring, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Culture confirmation is essential to ensure accurate diagnosis and guide antibiotic selection, especially in the context of increasing antimicrobial resistance.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of culture-proven urinary tract infection among children presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) at a tertiary care center in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to November 2024 conducted in the Department of Urology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan, from May 2024 to November 2024. A total of 195 children aged ≤15 years with LUTS were enrolled. Midstream urine samples were collected and processed for culture and susceptibility testing in the hospital microbiology laboratory. A positive urine culture was defined as growth of a single recognized uropathogen at or above 10^5 CFU per mL in a clean-catch midstream urine sample.
Results: Out of 195 children (mean age 8.7 ± 5.0 years), 172 (88.2%) had positive urine cultures. Culture positivity was significantly higher in females than males (92.7% vs. 82.4%, p=0.026) and showed a strong inverse relationship with age, with the highest rate in children ≤5 years (96.7%).
Conclusion: In this tertiary-care urology clinic, 88.2% of children presenting with LUTS had a positive urine culture. This reflects diagnostic yield in a referral setting. Routine urine culture should be integrated into diagnostic practice to improve accuracy and guide appropriate antibiotic use.
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