Most frequent causes of urinary tract infections in children.

AIM: to determine the most frequent causes of urinary tract infection (UTI) amongst children according to gender and age.

METHODS: 299 children with urinary tract infections were evaluated. All of the cases were clinically evaluated and quantitative and qualitative examinations of the urine (culture with antibiogram) were done.

RESULTS: There were 54.58% males and 45.15% females in the research group. Similar distribution was present in age groups: 1-28 days (67.86% male, 32.14% female), 1 month up to 1 year (64.56% male, 35.44% female), 2-6 years (55.29% male, 44.71% female). The only difference was found in the age group of 7-16 years where there were more female patients (56.07% female, 43.93% male). Based on microbiological findings, in 91.3o% of the cases only one species was isolated, and more than one species was isolated in 8.70% of cases. Escherichia coli was the most common cause of urinary tract infection (62.88%), the second most common was Klebsiella (23.080/%), followed by Proteus mirabilis (7.02%), Citrobacter(5.35%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (1.34%) and Candida albicans (0.33%). E. coli was the most frequent causative of UTI amongst children of all ages. In the age group of newborns, E. coli was isolated as the etiological causative of UTI in 57.14% of cases. In the age group ofi month-1 year, E.coli was the most frequent cause of urinary tract infection (60.76%). In the age group of 2-6 years, E.coli was the most frequent cause of urinary tract infection (74.12%). In the age group of 7-16 years, E. coli was isolated in 59.81% of cases. Klebsiella was the second most frequent causative (23.08%) and with a higher incidence in the age group of newborns (42.86%).

CONCLUSION: UTI was generally more present in male patients. E. coli was the most frequent cause of UTI in children of all age, while the second most frequent cause of UTI in children was Klebsiella.