Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)


  1. General information
    1. Bacterial invasion of the kidneys or bladder
    2. More common in girls, preschool, and school-age children
    3. Usually caused by E. coli; predisposing factors include poor hygiene, irritation from bubble baths, urinary reflux
    4. The invading organism ascends the urinary tract, irritating the mucosa and causing characteristic symptoms.
  2. Assessment findings
    1. Low-grade fever
    2. Abdominal pain
    3. Enuresis, pain/burning on urination, frequency, hematuria
  3. Nursing interventions
    1. Administer antibiotics as ordered; prevention of kidney infection/glomerulonephritis important. (Note: obtain cultures before starting antibiotics.)
    2. Provide warm baths and allow child to void in water to alleviate painful voiding.
    3. Force fluids.
    4. Encourage measures to acidify urine (cranberry juice, acid-ash diet).
    5. Provide client teaching and discharge planning concerning
      1. Avoidance of tub baths (contamination from dirty water may allow microorganisms to travel up urethra)
      2. Avoidance of bubble baths that might irritate urethra
      3. Importance for girls to wipe perineum from front to back
      4. Increase in foods/fluids that acidify urine.

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