Implication of Low Bacteria Counts with UTI in Infants

In a Swedish study, 19% of infants with urinary tract infection had bacterial counts <100,000 CFU/mL.

Urine specimens for diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants are often difficult to obtain and interpret. Classic definitions of UTI require ≥100,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL of a single bacterial organism, although recent recommendations accept fewer bacteria, and any bacterial growth in urine collected by suprapubic aspiration (SPA) is often accepted as diagnostic. In a retrospective study of 430 infants (age range, 5 days to 12 months; 64% boys) with symptomatic urinary infection diagnosed by SPA at a Swedish children's hospital between 1994 and 2003, investigators compared clinical parameters between those with urinary bacterial counts <100,000 CFU/mL (low-count group) and ≥100,000 CFU/mL (high-count group).

Overall, 19…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Implication of Low Bacteria Counts with UTI in Infants

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Reviewing Author