When does my child need antibiotics?
In most cases, children with urinary tract infections should be treated with antibiotics. The exception is urinary tract infections caused by viruses, as antibiotics are not effective here. The general rule for urinary tract infections is: asymptomatic infections do not have to be treated with antibiotics.
So if there is a chance finding that children have bacteria in their urine, this is not yet a cause for concern. Especially in children who are still wearing diapers, intestinal bacteria in the area of the urethra are completely normal. Only when symptoms such as fatigue, pain when urinating and fever are added, antibiotic therapy makes sense.
Various antibiotics are used for children with urinary tract infections. The most common are amoxicillin, gentamycin and ceftriaxone. Depending on which pathogen is found in the urine culture, other antibiotics can also be chosen. These include tobramycin, ceftriaxone and amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid.
Can this hurt my child?
An uncomplicated urinary tract infection, which occurs once, does not cause any harm to children. Only when complications arise can this become a problem. For example, the infection can spread throughout the body.
Also the therapy with antibiotics is not always beneficial for children, as it can upset the intestinal bacteria. However, antibiotic therapy is useful for a urinary tract infection in order to avoid complications. If urinary tract infections occur repeatedly, damage to the urinary tract can occur.
Complications of a urinary tract infection in a child
The complications that arise from a urinary tract infection in children occur mainly when the pathogens continue to spread in the body. A common complication is urinary bladder infection, which occurs much more frequently in girls than in boys due to the significantly shorter urethra. If the bacteria can rise from the bladder through the ureter to the kidneys, a so-called inflammation of the renal pelvis (pyelonephritis) can develop.
Inflammation of the renal pelvis can also be treated well with antibiotics. If this does not succeed, however, it can lead to a generalised infection in the body up to life-threatening blood poisoning. A single urinary tract infection is usually not a cause for concern. However, if the urinary tract infections occur more frequently, especially in combination with inflammation of the renal pelvis, kidney damage with functional restrictions may occur in the long term. In children, an inflammation of the testicles can also occur in the context of a urinary tract infection.
Duration
The duration of the urinary tract infection is usually about one week. Within this time, the symptoms can be completely regressed with antibiotic therapy and, if necessary, fever reducers. If there are additional infections of the urinary bladder or kidney, the duration of the urinary tract infection in the child can be significantly longer.
