Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Jordan University for
Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan | Department of Public Health, Community Medicine, and
Family Medicine, Jordan University for Science and Technology, Irbid,
Jordan
Note: [] Correspondence: Mohammad Khassawneh, MD, FAAP, MHPE, Department
of Pediatrics, Jordan University for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 126,
Aidone Irbid, Jordan. Tel.: 962 79 543 6665; Fax: 962 2 7200 624; E-mail:
deema321@yahoo.com
Abstract: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common among young infants. The
diagnosis of UTI requires a better understanding of the clinical and laboratory
presentations in this age group. This study describes the clinical and
laboratory aspects of UTI in young infants who were born preterm compared with
infants who were born full term. All infants aged less than 3 months who had
their first episode of UTI (excluding infants with UTI that occurred during
neonatal intensive care unit stay) between July 2003 and June 2006 were
retrospectively analyzed. A total of 73 infants (32 preterm and 41 term) were
included. Clinical and laboratory presentations were compared between the two
groups. Overall, 49.3% of patients had fever, 52% had poor feeding,
47.9% had vomiting, and 39.7% had apnea. There were no significant
differences in clinical features of UTI between the two groups. Term infants
had an elevated C-reactive protein in 45% of cases, leukocytosis in 30.8%
and thrombocytosis in 61.5%, while preterm infants had elevated C-reactive
protein in 21.9% of cases, leukocytosis in 3.6%, and thrombocytosis in
35.7%, (P = 0.041, P = 0.037, and P = 0.008, respectively). Urinary
leukocytes were present in 40% of term and in 26% of preterm infants (P
= 0.360). There was no difference in vesicoureteral reflux between the two
groups. Clinical features of UTI of early infancy were similar in preterm and
term infants. Both groups had similar vesicoureteral reflux. Symptomatic
preterm infants with UTI were less likely to have abnormal laboratory
findings.
Keywords: Urinary tract infection, young infants, term, preterm, CRP, thrombocytosis
