Urinary Tract Infection (Children)

​UTI is diagnosed by testing a specimen of urine for the presence of white blood cells and bacteria.

A fresh urine specimen obtained via clean catch should be collected, avoiding contamination as far as possible. This can be done by collecting the mid-stream of the urine as the child urinates after cleaning his/her private area well. For infants, it may be necessary to collect urine by passing a fine tube into the bladder through urethra or putting a small needle into the bladder through the wall of the abdomen.

Using adhesive bags to collect urine specimens are not reliable as they are often contaminated by germs from the skin.

Urine specimens are usually tested with a dipstick to look for white blood cells, which can provide a clue to the presence or absence of UTI. A final diagnosis of UTI can only be made by sending the urine to the laboratory for urine culture. The culture results may take 48 to 72 hours to be ready.