Study of urinary tract infection in children in one health district.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the number of children who had urine specimens sent for culture, who had infections or sterile pyuria, and who were investigated further. To relate the laboratory findings to the results of imaging. DESIGN: One year survey of urine specimens submitted to a laboratory; review of previous and subsequent laboratory reports; review of the findings of imaging of the urinary tract. SETTING: Portsmouth and South East Hampshire health district. SUBJECTS: An estimated population of 89,086 children aged 12 years or under. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Urine bacterial count and results of imaging. RESULTS: 12,551 urine specimens were submitted from 7450 children, 3138 boys and 4312 girls. 2238 children had infection or sterile pyuria at least once during the study (13.9/1000 boys, 37/1000 girls). 996 (45%) of the children with infection or sterile pyuria underwent some form of imaging. 128 children who had infection or sterile pyuria were already known to have urinary tract abnormalities and 114 children had newly identified abnormalities (1.0/1000 boys, 1.5/1000 girls). 50 (44%) of the children with newly detected abnormalities had no pyuria and 48 (42%) had bacterial counts below 10(8)/l. Eight children who had sterile pyuria on presentation were found to have abnormalities on imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary tract infection is much commoner in children than is widely believed. Low bacterial counts, the absence of pyuria, or a finding of sterile pyuria should not be disregarded.

Suprapubic aspiration under ultrasound guidance in children with fever of undiagnosed cause.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ease of use of suprapubic aspiration of urine under ultrasound guidance in babies with fever of uncertain cause and to assess the importance of bacterial counts and pyuria in relation to abnormalities of the urinary tract and the importance of pyuria in the absence of bacteriuria. DESIGN: Analysis of urine samples obtained by suprapubic aspiration in babies and children from July 1991 to June 1992. The clinical records of the children with bacteriuria and sterile pyuria were examined retrospectively. SETTING: Neonatal and paediatric wards of a district general hospital. SUBJECTS: 508 babies and children who had fever of uncertain cause or were seriously ill. RESULTS: No difficulties arose in the collection of 545 specimens. Bacteria were isolated from the specimens of 44 children, 24 of whom had abnormalities of the urinary tract. The bacterial count was < 10(8)/l in 18 of the children with bacteriuria, 10 of whom had abnormalities. No white cells were seen in 22 of the 46 bacteriuric specimens; nine of the children with no pyuria had vesicoureteric reflux. 439 of the 499 non-bacteriuric specimens showed no white cells. 60 children had pyuria without bacteriuria. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ultrasound guidance simplifies suprapubic aspiration of urine in babies. Low bacterial counts may be associated with abnormalities of the urinary tract. Laboratory techniques capable of detecting such counts reliably should be used. Pyuria is absent in half of babies and very young children with bacteriuria. It rarely occurs without bacteriuria, and if it does an explanation should be sought.

Bacteriological state of the urine in symptom-free adult males.

Mid-stream urine specimens from 120 symptom-free males aged between 15 and 60 years were examined for cells and bacteria. Only 3 specimens showed pyuria, all of which yielded fastidious organisms. No specimen yielded a pure growth of an aerobe. Fastidious organisms in pure or mixed growth were isolated from 26% of the specimens, none in a count greater than 10(8)/l and the majority in counts less than 10(7)/l. It was concluded that pure growths of aerobes in any count in patients with symptoms are indicative of infection. Fastidious organisms should be sought in the urine of patients with symptoms or pyuria before more intensive and expensive investigations are pursued.

Microbiological look at urodynamic studies.

Urine samples were cultured for aerobic, fastidious, and anaerobic bacteria in 88 patients (66 F, 22 M) before and after standard urodynamic investigations. 37 of 42 women with detrusor instability, and 14 of 17 women with stress incontinence, had evidence of bacteriuria with aerobic or fastidious bacteria before investigation, as did 6 of 13 men with bladder outflow obstruction. 8 men (36%) acquired bacteriuria with aerobic bacteria after investigation, compared with 10 women (15%). Recalcitrant, irritative urinary symptoms in women may be caused by an underlying infection, the urodynamic changes being secondary. In men who have urodynamic studies, antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered.

A blind controlled trial of phase-contrast microscopy by two observers for evaluating the source of haematuria.

Two observers, unaware of each other's findings and of the diagnosis, examined red cells in the urine of 109 patients by phase-contrast microscopy. All specimens were examined uncentrifuged by inverted microscopy, and 48 of the 109 were also examined under a light microscope after centrifugation. We were unable to confirm with either method the close correlation between red-cell morphology and diagnosis reported in previous studies, and our 2 observers differed in their interpretation on 38% of occasions. Proteinuria associated with the presence of casts in uncentrifuged urine examined by inverted microscopy was a better indication than red-cell morphology of renal parenchymal disease.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus as a urinary pathogen: a six year prospective survey.

Over six years (1978-83, inclusive) weekly laboratory records of organisms causing urinary tract infection in women aged 15-25 not attending hospital were kept prospectively and analysed. The incidence of infection with Staphylococcus saprophyticus defined by age and sex was confirmed. This organism caused an increasing proportion of infections in young women over the six years studied, and these infections showed noticeable seasonality. All but four isolates of S saprophyticus were sensitive to all the commonly used antimicrobial agents that were tested. This might be because the organism is not often present in the body as a commensal and therefore not subject to the selection pressures exerted by such agents. As infection with S saprophyticus has different clinical connotations from infection with other coagulase negative staphylococci it should be differentiated from them in routine laboratory practice.

Urinary infection in adult men: a laboratory perspective.

During a 10-week period all mid-stream urine specimens from males aged 15 years and upwards, excluding hospital in-patients, with symptoms suggesting urinary tract infection were examined by techniques capable of detecting aerobes and fastidious organisms. Five hundred and eighty-five such specimens were received; 85% were sent by general practitioners and 182 were from men aged less than 45 years, indicating that urinary symptoms are commoner in young men than is usually believed and that diagnosis and treatment are usually undertaken by general practitioners. One hundred and seventy-nine specimens yielded aerobic pathogens and 140 yielded fastidious organisms; 70% of the former and 33% of the latter showed pyuria. Only 12% of the 196 specimens showing pyuria yielded a negative culture. The possibility of prostatic infection and its relevance to treatment are discussed. Some post-treatment data are presented.

Fastidious bacteria and the urethral syndrome: a 2-year clinical and bacteriological study of 51 women.

A two-year study of 51 women has shown a highly significant relation between high counts of fastidious organisms in the urine and the presence of symptoms. The patients, even when symptom-free, differed in this respect from a control group who had not had urinary symptoms for 2 years and from a group on long-term low-dose prophylaxis for recurrent urinary infection. The history, physical signs, and natural history of urinary symptoms in these patients were consistent with a diagnosis of urethral or paraurethral infection.

Corynebacterium vaginale and vaginitis: a controlled trial of treatment.

In a study of the diagnosis and treatment of Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis) vaginitis in 30 patients, clinical and microscopical findings were compared with laboratory cultures. The study also included a double-blind randomised trial of treatment regimens including placebo therapy. Laboratory cultures of C. vaginale corresponded well with clinical findings, and we suggest that C. vaginale vaginitis can be reliably diagnosed with clinical and microscopical findings. Tetracycline was effective in half the patients treated, whereas all but 1 of the 17 patients eventually treated with metronidazole were cured. The apparent discrepancy between in-vitro sensitivity and in-vitro efficacy of metronidazole in this condition is discussed.

The puzzle of "urethral syndrome": a possible answer?

82 strains of slow-growing, CO2-dependent, gram-positive organisms have been isolated from the urine of 9 male and 73 female patients. 100% of the men and 93% of the women had urinary symptoms at the time of isolation, and 66% of the specimens showed pyuria. These organisms might account for the urinary symptoms of some patients previously diagnosed as having "urethral syndrome". Preliminary data show that, if appropriate antibacterial treatment is given, most of these patients become symptom-free, and the organism can no longer be isolated from the urine.

Urinary infection after micturating cystography.

Out of 87 patients who underwent micturating cystourethrography (M.C.U.) 14 had infection at the time of the procedure, and infection later developed in 18 patients. The occurrence of post-M.C.U. infection was significantly influenced by whether the patient was on antibacterial treatment at the time of the procedure, but not by the sex of the patient, difficulty of catheterisation, or radiological abnormality. Hence, antibacterial prophylaxis should be given, and subsequent urine culture is mandatory.