URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN: DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF RECURRENCE

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in children and require timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, particularly in infants and young children. UTIs may involve different parts of the urinary tract and clinically present as cystitis, pyelonephritis, or asymptomatic bacteriuria. This article reviews modern approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric UTIs and strategies for preventing recurrence. Urinalysis, urine culture, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, renal and bladder ultrasonography, and selected use of voiding cystourethrography are important diagnostic tools. Antibiotic selection should be individualized according to the child's age, clinical condition, infection site, previous microbiological findings, and local antimicrobial resistance patterns. In children with recurrent UTIs, underlying risk factors such as vesicoureteral reflux, urinary tract abnormalities, constipation, and bladder-bowel dysfunction should be assessed. Early diagnosis, rational antibiotic therapy, adequate hydration, and correction of modifiable risk factors are important for reducing recurrence and preventing long-term renal complications.