Prevalence of urinary tract infection among febrile under-fives attending the paediatric outpatient clinic in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

*West BA, Okari TG, Aitafo JE

The diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) is often missed in febrile children because its symptoms are usually non-specific. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of UTI among febrile under-fives attending the paediatric Out-Patient Clinic of Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Demographic data was collected from 169 consecutively recruited under-fives. Their urine samples were analyzed in the laboratory using standard urinalysis, microscopy, culture and sensitivity methods. The children aged 0-60 (mean age 19.18+15.99) months included 106 (62.7%) males. The prevalence of UTI was 62 (36.7%). Escherichia coli (51.6%) was the commonest organism cultured and vomiting (56.5%) the commonest symptom observed in febrile under-fives with UTI. Urinary tract infection was more prevalent among children aged 12-23 months (42.1%). Urinary tract infection is prevalent among febrile under-fives and vomiting was the commonest symptom found among them.