Pediatric urinary tract infection. Diagnosis, classification, and significance.

The initial task is to establish the diagnosis of a urinary tract infection. The clinical setting, method of specimen collection, bacterial colony count, and species are all important considerations. Next, the infection is classified as complicated or uncomplicated. Complicated infections require hospitalization and parenteral antibiotic therapy. Appropriate imaging studies are imperative to determine whether urologic intervention is necessary. All children with well-documented urinary tract infections deserve diagnostic evaluation, regardless of sex or presence of systemic symptoms.