Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Microbial Profile of Urinary Tract Infections in Pediatric Population

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in childhood. This study aimed to determine the clinical symptoms, laboratory test results, risk factors, and etiology of symptomatic UTIs in pediatric patients admitted to Tobruk Medical Center, with a focus on age and sex differences. The study was designed as a retrospective analysis and included data from 1 January to 31 December 2023. A total of 84 patients were included in the study. In terms of sex distribution, females were three times more prevalent than males, accounting for 77.4% of cases compared to 22.6% for males. The observed clinical presentations were as follows: dysuria (18%), suprapubic pain (17.2%), vomiting (17.2%), fever (15.2%), urinary frequency (15.2%), urgency (9.3%), and hematuria (7.8%). The age distribution of participants was as follows: 46% were between 3 and 4 years old, 40% were between 5 and 8 years old, 9.5% were between 9 and 12 years old, and 3.6% were over 12 years old.