Urinary tract infection: new perspectives on a common disease

Urinary tract infection is an important cause of morbidity in children, and affects up to 10% of the childhood population. Recent information suggests that the long-term outcome for children with urinary tract infection is much better than previously believed, with causal links to end-stage renal disease and hypertension not demonstrated despite 20-year cohort studies. Improvements in the use of dipstick and clinical features as diagnostic tools have occurred, but culture is still needed if the diagnosis of urinary tract infection is to be definitively established. Interventions to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection, particularly low-dose, long-term antimicrobial agents may not be effective and placebo-controlled trials are now required.