Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious processes that occurs in the pediatric age group. Unlike the typical and relatively benign course of UTI in the adult, there may be long-term sequelae related to serious UTIs in children, especially in those with concurrent urological anatomic abnormalities. It has been conventional wisdom that recurrent UTI can potentially result in hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency, although these issues have become debatable. Still, it remains imperative that clinicians are cognizant of the risk factors, pathogenesis, and management of UTI in children. In addition, the pediatric urologist or surgeon needs to recognize how UTI may be a marker of a more serious underlying urologic congenital and/or a functional anomaly, which may be amendable to therapeutic interventions that result in correction of that anomaly, thereby minimizing the risk of UTI recurrence or its sequelae.