Imaging the urinary tract in children with urinary tract infection

Aim: To evaluate whether ultrasonography (US) alone is sufficient in imaging the urinary tract in 1185 children with urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods: The reports on US and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) were reviewed. Results: Initial US was normal in 861/1185 patients (73%). VCUG revealed abnormal findings in 285/861 (33%), of which grade III–V vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) comprised 97 cases (11%). During follow‐up, VUR had resolved in 88/97 (91%) patients: in 50/57 (88%) patients without active treatment for VUR, in 27/29 (93%) with endoscopic and in 11/11 (100%) with open surgery for VUR. During follow‐up, 11/97 patients (11%) had developed new renal scarring detectable in US, but no renal impairment occurred. Except for VUR, VCUG showed nonobstructive urethral valves in two infant boys with normal initial US. Thus, in 861 children with normal initial US, 40 patients with grade III–V VUR and two patients with significant nonreflux pathology may have benefited from surgical treatment, giving the total number of possibly missed pathological finding in 42/861 (4.9%) cases if VCUG had not been performed. Conclusion: We suggest that children with UTI could be examined using US alone and to use VCUG only after additional indications.     

儿童泌尿系统感染诊治进展

泌尿系统感染(UTI)是儿科最常见的细菌感染性疾病之一,约30%的婴幼儿在初次感染6~12个月反复发作。而在有泌尿系统发育畸形的儿童中,约30%的患儿以UTI为首发表现,故UTI可能是潜在肾脏结构异常的前哨事件。婴幼儿UTI常并膀胱输尿管反流等先天性尿路畸形,对于反复感染的高危患儿,易出现肾脏损害及肾瘢痕,进而导致终末期肾病。因此,早期识别、及时治疗和合理管理对改善预后十分重要。现总结近年来国内外相关文献,以期为儿童UTI的诊治提供临床参考。     

降钙素原对尿路感染儿童膀胱输尿管反流的诊断价值及其关联性

目的 探讨降钙素原（PCT）对儿童尿路感染伴膀胱输尿管反流（VUR）的诊断价值及其关联。 方法 纳入2012年1月1日至2015年12月31日湖南省儿童医院首次诊断为尿路感染且住院期间进行了PCT、CRP检测、排尿期膀胱尿道造影（VCUG）检查和尿液细菌定量培养的患儿,排除医院获得性尿路感染者和进行过尿道外科手术者。以VCUG作为金标准,以PCT和CRP为待测标准,将诊断为VUR的患儿分为无反流组和反流组（轻度反流亚组和重度反流亚组）。采集性别、月龄和VCUG信息,仅截取入院后24 h内行PCT和CRP检测的结果。比较PCT和CRP对VUR的诊断参数。 结果 进入本文分析的尿路感染患儿156例,经VCUG确诊的VUR （反流组）58例,其中轻度反流亚组38例,重度反流亚组20例;无反流组98例。无反流组与反流组患儿月龄、男女比例差异无统计学意义（Z=-1.667, P=0.096;χ2=0.291,P=0.590）。PCT(ng·mL-1)和CRP(mg·L-1)反流组高于无反流组［1.01（0.78,1.28）vs 0.40（0.10,0.60）和14.2（8.9,31.1）vs 11.0（6.6,19.5）］,差异有统计学意义（Z=-7.863, P=0.000;Z=-2.327, P=0.02）。PCT无反流组与轻度反流亚组［0.99（0.68,1.16）］和重度反流亚组［1.57（0.93,1.96）］、CRP无反流组与重度反流亚组［28.9（12.7,45.2）］、PCT与CRP轻度反流亚组及重度反流亚组,差异均有统计学意义。CRP无反流组与轻度反流亚组［12.6（8.5,19.5）］,差异无统计学意义。PCT区分有无反流的最佳截值为0.77 ng·mL-1,敏感度为77.6%,特异度90.8%,ROC曲线下面积0.877（95％CI：0.811~0.943）。在控制了性别和CRP等因素的情况下,PCT≥0.77 ng·mL-1的尿路感染患儿VUR的风险是PCT＜0.77 ng·mL-1的3.604倍。 结论 PCT对于判断尿路感染患儿是否存在VUR具有一定的临床价值,可作为预测VUR的独立指标。     

儿童泌尿道感染诊治规范

泌尿道感染(UTI)是儿童最常见的感染性疾病之一。儿童UTI的临床症状可不典型,需结合尿沉渣分析与尿细菌学检查诊断,必要时需完善影像学评估有无泌尿系统发育畸形等。一旦诊断UTI需给予敏感抗菌药物治疗,抗菌药物选择应结合患儿一般情况、所在地区耐药发生率、既往用药史、尿细菌学药敏结果综合判断。此外,UTI并膀胱输尿管反流的...     

Radiological evaluation of the urinary tract in children with urinary infection

Objective: This article in to study the association of structural abnormalities of the urinary tract in children with urinary tract infection (UTI) using ultrasound examination.Methods : 262 children with culture proven urinary tract infection were studied. Antibiotics were given as per sensitivity pattern. All children had an ultrasound of the abdomen done within 3 weeks. A micturating cystourethrogram (MCU) was done in those with abnormalities of the lower urinary tract detected on ultrasound, as well as in those who had recurrence of infection, after a normal ultrasound. IVU and renal isotope scans were done in selected cases.Result : All children were followed up until one year after the study period. Fifty-four patients had an underlying urinary tract anomaly; 42 were picked up by ultrasound and 12 by MCU. 22.9% of males and 15.9% of females had anomaly of the urinary tract. Children less than 2 years had the highest incidence of anomalies.Conclusion : Pelviureteric junction obstruction with hydronephrosis, vesicoureteric reflux and non-refluxing megaureter are the major anomalies picked up. 20% of children with urinary tract infections have an underlying structural abnormality of the urinary tract, three-fourth of which are picked up on ultrasound. An ultrasound abdomen is recommended in all children after the first UTI. In addition, an MCU is also indicated in all boys below 2 years with UTI, since one-third of anomalies will be missed if only ultrasound is done.     

儿童泌尿系感染的诊治进展

泌尿系感染(urinary tract infection,UTI)是儿科常见的感染性疾病,早期识别和治疗可有效预防肾脏瘢痕形成,对肾脏远期预后具有重要意义.该文总结近年来儿童泌尿系感染相关文献,分别从临床表现、实验室检查、诊断标准和治疗等方面阐述国内外的研究现状,以期为儿童泌尿系感染的临床诊断和治疗提供参考.     

Ultrasonography after the first febrile urinary tract infection in children

The importance of ultrasonography after the first febrile urinary tract infection has been recently challenged. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ultrasonography in detection of significant non-reflux abnormalities in the kidneys and the urinary tract, and to determine whether these findings influence treatment in these children. The clinical data and ultrasonography results of 155 children admitted to a university hospital with the first febrile urinary tract infection were analysed retrospectively. Renal ultrasonography was abnormal in 23 patients (14.8%). The major portion of these patients (81%) were younger than 2 years of age. Management of nine of these patients was changed based primarily on ultrasonography findings. Four of these patients were treated operatively. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that ultrasonography performed after the first urinary tract infection may offer clinically important information about non-reflux abnormalities in the kidneys and urinary tract that can affect the management of children with these complications.     

Routine voiding cystourethrography is of no value in neonates with unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney

OBJECTIVES: To determine if two successive ultrasound examinations could rule out the presence of clinically significant contralateral anomalies in neonates with multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK), thereby avoiding unnecessary voiding cystourethrography (VCUG). STUDY DESIGN: We followed 76 newborn infants with antenatally discovered MCDK. Two successive neonatal renal ultrasound examinations were performed, one within the first week and one at around 1 month of life. VCUG and isotopic studies were performed in all infants. RESULTS: Urologic anomalies of the contralateral kidney were present in 19 of 76 children (25%): vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in 16 (21%), ureteropelvic junction obstruction in 2 (3%), and renal duplex kidney in 1 (1%). Sixty-one infants (80% of total) had normal contralateral urinary tract on the 2 successive neonatal renal ultrasound scans. Among them, 4 of 61 (7%) infants presented with low-grade VUR on VCUG that had resolved spontaneously before 2 years of age. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of two successive ultrasound scans in the neonatal period to predict contralateral urological anomalies on VCUG were 75%, 95%, 80%, and 93%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In infants with antenatally diagnosed MCDK, two successive normal neonatal renal ultrasound scans will rule out clinically significant contralateral anomalies, thereby rendering the need for a neonatal VCUG unnecessary.     

Antibacterial prophylaxis in children with urinary tract infection

The aim, in conservative management of vesico-ureteric reflux by antimicrobial prophylaxis, is to prevent recurrent febrile urinary tract infections and consequent renal scarring. However, the effects of this prophylactic strategy are difficult to evaluate, since the required studies comparing children on prophylaxis with controls (without prophylaxis but under careful supervision) are lacking. Furthermore, the optimal length of prophylaxis needs to be defined. Since risk of renal scarring is believed to occur more frequently in young people, and since recurrent urinary infections mainly affect girls, the age and sex of subjects are important in the design of a prophylactic regimen. Nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim are the most common agents used for long-term, low-dose antibacterial prophylaxis. Break-through infections still result from non-compliance and from development of bacterial resistance, the latter mainly arising with trimethoprim. Few studies of prophylactic drugs are available that adequately define patient materials and include a random allocation to the different agents. Further studies of the effects of alternative prophylactic agents are called for, preferably combined with fresh insight into the ecological impact on the bowel and periurethral floras.     

Relevance of vesico-ureteric reflux in development of lipid a antibodies in recurrent urinary tract infections in children — a preliminary study

The serum titres of IgG and IgM antibodies to lipid A were measured in 24 children with chronic pyelonephritis (PN), 55 with recurrent lower urinary tract infections (LUTI), 13 with gram-negative sepsis (S), and in 50 control children using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Children ranged in age from 1 month-17 years. Patients with PN were differentiated by the presence or absence of an acute infectious episode and/or vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR). During an acute episode in PN and LUTI, IgG titres were significantly higher than in controls, but only PN patients with an acute infectious episode also had significantly elevated IgM titres. Overall, children with LUTI showed a significantly lower frequency of detectable IgG lipid A antibodies (27%) than in PN (63%). In PN children with VUR not accompanied by an infectious episode, lipid A antibody was found at relatively low titres, while an episode not accompanied by VUR displayed significantly elevated IgG titres, and an episode accompanied by VUR showed elevation of both IgG and IgM anti-lipid A antibody titres.Abbreviations UTI urinary tract infections - LUTI lower UTI - LUTI₁ LUTI with acute infectious episode - LUTI₂ LUTI without acute infectious epsisode - PN pyelonephritis - PN₁ PN with VUR but no acute infectious episode - PN₂ PN with acute infectious episode but no VUR - PN₃ PN with VUR and acute infectious episode - VUR vesico-ureteric reflux - S sepsis - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorvent assay - LPS lipopolysaccharide     

Primary vesicoureteral reflux detected in neonates with a history of fetal renal pelvis dilatation: a prospective clinical and imaging study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical outcome and imaging features of neonatal primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). STUDY DESIGN: We prospectively followed 43 infants with primary VUR identified from among a cohort of 497 infants with fetal renal pelvis dilatation. Postnatal renal ultrasound (US) examinations were performed at 5 days and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of life. Voiding cystourethrography was performed in the neonatal period and repeated at 12 and 24 months when VUR was persistent. Two radioisotopic examinations, including a 99mTc-MAG3 renogram and a plasma clearance of Cr-51 EDTA, were performed in all children with high-grade reflux. RESULTS: The incidence of primary VUR in our study group was 9%. Among the 43 patients followed, 11 (26%) had high-grade (IV-V) VUR and 32 (74%) had low-grade VUR. Resolution of reflux occurred in 2 of 11 (18%) patients with high-grade VUR and in 29 of 32 (90.6%) patients with low-grade VUR at age 2 years (P < .001). At age 2 years, 91% of the low-grade refluxing kidneys were normal on US, compared with only 35% of the high-grade refluxing kidneys. Split renal function was within normal range and single-kidney GFR was significantly increased in 13 of the 17 high-grade refluxing kidneys during follow-up. Furthermore, a strong association between dysplasia on US and poor renal function outcome was found. CONCLUSIONS: In most infants with VUR, the reflux is of low grade and resolves rapidly. In those children with high-grade VUR, spontaneous resolution is rare at age 2 years, but persistent reflux rarely impairs the maturation of renal function.     

Prediction of vesicoureteral reflux after a first febrile urinary tract infection in children: validation of a clinical decision rule

Aims

To test the reproducibility of a highly sensitive clinical decision rule proposed to predict vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) after a first febrile urinary tract infection in children. This rule combines clinical (family history of uropathology, male gender, young age), biological (raised C reactive protein), and radiological (urinary tract dilation on renal ultrasound) predictors in a score, and provides 100% sensitivity.

Methods

A retrospective hospital based cohort study included all children, 1 month to 4 years old, with a first febrile urinary tract infection. The sensitivities and specificities of the rule at the two previously proposed score thresholds (⩽0 and ⩽5) to predict respectively, all‐grade or grade ⩾3 VUR, were calculated.

Results

A total of 149 children were included. VUR prevalence was 25%. The rule yielded 100% sensitivity and 3% specificity for all‐grade VUR, and 93% sensitivity and 13% specificity for grade ⩾3 VUR. Some methodological weaknesses explain this lack of reproducibility.

Conclusions

The reproducibility of the previously proposed decision rule was poor and its potential contribution to clinical management of children with febrile urinary tract infection seems to be modest.