How to Treat Urinary Tract Infections in Kids

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dr. David Hill and today, we're going to talk about how to treat urinary tract infections in children. Urinary tract infections in children are a much more serious issue for children then they are for adult women. Adult men should not get urinary tract infections, and if they do, that's a serious issue as well, but when children get urinary tract infections, we get worried about the state of their kidneys. If the child has a urinary tract infection with a fever, we're relatively confident that the kidneys are infected as well and usually that requires injected antibiotics, either a shot given into the muscle for three days in a row or an intravenous antibiotic given for three days in a row. Also, if your child has a urinary tract infection accompanied by a fever, there's certain studies they really should have. They'll probably need an ultrasound of the kidneys and your doctor may also order a different kind of kidney x-ray called a voiding cystourethrogram to see if urine refluxes from the bladder back up into the kidneys. Urine's only supposed to go one direction, kidneys to the bladder. And when it goes backwards, it can lead to permanent damage to the kidneys and even ultimately to kidney failure. Your doctor is almost certainly going to prescribe antibiotics for your child's urinary tract infection and you should take them as directed. If it was a serious urinary tract infection with a fever, many doctors would also provide antibiotics to prevent another infection from occurring, at least until the studies that need to be done have been done. We also look for constipation which is a common cause of urinary tract infection in children, so be sure you can describe your child's bowel habits to your doctor when you get in there. So to review, for urinary tract infections in children, these are always a serious matter and need to be taken seriously by you and by your doctor. If the child has a fever, this probably indicates a kidney infection and needs to be treated even more seriously with follow-up exams of the kidneys. Look for constipation and be ready to tell your doctor about bowel and bladder habits when you get there. Talking about urinary tract infections in children, I'm Dr. David Hill."