Imaging studies in infants younger than 24 months hospitalized for urinary tract infection: our experience in the Department of Pediatrics of the Hospital Nacional

Abstract

Introduction: urinary tract infection is one of the most frequent infections in Pediatrics. The use of imaging studies is controversial.

Material and Methods: in order to evaluate the imaging studies in infants with UI, an observational, descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study was carried out that included 70 infants under 24 months with a diagnosis of community-acquired urinary tract infection, admitted to the Hospital. National from January 2014 to December 2018. Patients with urinary tract infection associated with health care and those with incomplete medical history were excluded. The sampling was non-probabilistic of consecutive cases. Demographic and clinical characteristics, urine culture data, and imaging studies were analyzed. The data were analyzed using the Microsoft Excell® 2010 program, using descriptive statistics.
Results: of the 70 infants who met the inclusion criteria. 41 were female (58,5 %) and 29 (41,4 %) male. The mean age was 7,5 months ± 6 SD. The most frequent clinical presentation was fever without a source. 26/70 had abnormal ultrasound and 24/70 had a urine culture with no Escherichia Coli germ. Only 13 patients underwent Voinding Cystourethrography, finding abnormalities in 84 % of them.
Conclusion: Adherence to performing VCUG in our patients was very poor, representing a missed opportunity for the diagnosis of uropathies and for secondary nephron prevention.