Urine collection methods in precontinent children treated at the paediatric emergency department

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections in infants, with a prevalence of 7% among children <24 months old with fever without source attended at the paediatric emergency department (PED). 1 Early diagnosis and treatment of UTI is critical to prevent kidney damage. Diagnosis of UTI is based on the growth of a pathogen in a urine sample without evidence of contamination; however, there is no consensus on the best method for urine culture collection in precontinent children. 2 Urethral catheterisation