Renal concentrating ability in 5-year-old girls with covert bacteriuria

Asymptomatic bacteriuria in schoolgirls. I. Clinical and laboratory findings

Among 116 schoolgirls with asymptomatic bacteriuria detected at urinary screening, renal parenchymal reduction was found in 10.3%, while reflux was found in 20.7%. Only 30% of the 116 patients had a history referable to earlier urinary tract infection and there were remarkably few girls with an increased sedimentation rate (4.4%), C-reactive protein (9.5%), pyuria (25.8%) or lowered concentrating capacity (3.4%) at the time of detection of their bacteriuria. No method was found efficient in predicting lesions on the pyelogram and urethrocystogram, but determination of renal concentrating capacity and C-reactive protein was of some value in predicting parenchymal reduction. The girls with pyelonephritic changes on the pyelogram had a mean renal concentrating capacity significantly lower than the girls without changes. The concentrating capacity of the girls with reflux but without renal scarring and those bacteriuric patients without radiologically demonstrated defects did not differ significantly from the age-related normal values.

High incidence of 'asymtomatic' urinary tract infection in infant schoolgirls

Two thousand one hundred and sixty five Renfrewshire entrant schoolchildren were screened for bacteriuria and pyuria. The correlation between these two criteria of urinary tract infection was found to be very high.

Two of 960 boys and 31 of 1205 girls were found to have persistent significant bacteriuria and pyuria.

The method used is described and compared with other methods. Investigation, treatment and follow-up of the affected children is described.

Covert bacteriuria of childhood. A clinical and epidemiological study

A 4-year screening programme for covert bacteriuria in Dundee primary schoolgirl entrants showed a prevalence of 1·6% and an annual incidence of 0·9%. Among 109 children with bacteriuria, 70% had symptoms of lower urinary tract infection, 35% had vesicoureteric reflux, and 23% radiological evidence of pyelonephritis. Both pyuria and a past history of urinary infection were related to radiological evidence of reflux or pyelonephritis. Covert bacteriuria was found more frequently in children from social classes IV and V; and their housing, home circumstances, and home care were worse than a control group, even when allowance was made for their social class differences. The children appeared generally healthy but were smaller than a control group. The data suggest that the great majority of these children are not seriously at risk and that there is at present not sufficient evidence to warrant prescriptive screening.