Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. Children s Hospital. Information for Parents and Carers DRAFT. University Hospitals of Leicester.

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1 Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children Children s Hospital Information for Parents and Carers University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

2 Acute Open Access to Children s Hospital Your child (Insert name)... is suspected of having a UTI. You have open access to CAU until (Date/time)... What is it? A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. What can you do to help? 1. If they have a fever you can give paracetamol, as directed on the bottle. 2. Encourage your child to drink plenty 3. Give the antibiotics as prescribed. If you have any of any problems the described in table 1, please don t hesitate to contact us on or

3 Table 1 Seek CAU/GP advice if No improvement after 48 hrs or they are getting worse Fever that lasts longer than 48hrs Your child is vomiting up the medicine They seem more unwell than when they were assessed in hospital. Important Information For you child s safety please do NOT bring you child to CAU without speaking to a member of staff first Please be patient when phoning as we may be busy with sick children. The rest of this booklet gives more detailed information about UTIs. What is a UTI? The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, the bladder, the tubes that link them (ureters), and the tube that carries urine out of the body (urethra). A UTI is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. 3

4 The urinary tract kidney ureter bladder urethra Finding out whether a child has a UTI It can sometimes be difficult for healthcare professionals, parents and carers to know whether a child has a UTI, especially in babies and young children. This is because a child with a UTI may be generally unwell. There may not be any specific symptoms or signs that suggest the illness is due to a UTI. 4

5 How do I know if my child might have a UTI? These are all possible symptoms or signs of a UTI. General signs that your child is unwell: Fever Vomiting Tiredness Irritability Not feeding well Not gaining weight properly Jaundice (infants only) More Specific signs of a UTI: Pain when passing urine Needing to pass urine frequently Wetting Tummy pain Pain in the side Unpleasant smelling urine Blood in the urine If the healthcare professional suspects your child may have a UTI, they will ask to test a sample of your child s urine to confirm whether or not there is an infection. You may be asked to collect the urine sample, or the healthcare professionals may help with this. 5

6 Treating UTIs in children UTIs are treated with antibiotics. Most UTIs clear up within 1 2 days from the start of antibiotic treatment. If your child does not seem to be any better after hours, you should seek further advice. It is very important that your child finishes the course of medicine. Babies and children who are 6 months or older, who respond well to treatment and do not have any other unusual features, do not need any further tests unless they have further UTIs. Ultrasound scans For some children, the healthcare professional may recommend an ultrasound scan. The scan is painless, and lets them see an image of the child s kidneys and bladder to make sure everything is in the correct place. This may be done within a few days or up to 6 weeks after the original infection. Further tests Following the ultrasound scan, your healthcare professional may also recommend further tests to see if there are any problems with your child s bladder or kidneys. If your child needs any further tests, you will be given more information about the tests and what they involve. 6

7 Prevention There are some things that you and your child can do help prevent or reduce the frequency of UTIs: Encourage your child to go to the toilet regularly every 3 to 4 hours during the day, before having a bath and before going to bed. Change your baby s nappies regularly. Help your child avoid constipation speak with your doctor or nurse for more information. Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids, especially water, eats a healthy diet, is active and gets regular sleep. Questions If you have any questions write them down here to remind you what to ask when you speak to your consultant. References: Information taken from Accessed on 1/10/14 7

8 Today s research is tomorrow s care We all benefit from research. Leicester s Hospitals is a research active Trust so you may find that research is happening when you visit the hospital or your clinic. If you are interested in finding out how you can become involved in a clinical trial or to find out more about taking part in research, please speak to your clinician or GP. If you would like this information in another language or format, please contact the service equality manager on Produced: October 2014 Review: October 2016 (Ward)10148KR CHI0??-1014