Young Febrile Children Research Articles

Accuracy of NGAL as a Biomarker for Urinary Tract Infection in Young Febrile Children: An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis

To compare the accuracy of urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and leukocyte esterase (LE) for the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. We performed a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of studies that examined urine NGAL as a marker of UTI in children <18years of age. We created a standardized definition of UTI and applied it to all included children. We compared sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of NGAL with LE. We included individual patient data from 3 studies for a total of 845 children. Included children had a mean age of 0.9years (SD, 0.6years). Using a cutoff of 32.7ng/mL, NGAL had a sensitivity of 90.3% (95% CI: 83.2%-95.0%) and specificity of 93.7% (95% CI: 91.7%-95.4%) for the diagnosis of UTI. LE, using a cutoff of ≧ trace had a sensitivity of 81.1% (95% CI: 72.5%-87.9%) and specificity of 97.0% (95% CI: 95.4%-98.1%). The AUC for NGAL was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92-0.98). The AUC for LE was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86-0.93). In young, febrile children, urinary NGAL is more sensitive for the diagnosis of UTI than LE but is slightly less specific.

A simple clinical decision rule may help to ruleout severe bacterial infection and spare antibiotics in febrile young children.

To assess the performance of a new clinical decision rule (CDR) to identify patients at a low risk of invasive bacterial infection (IBI) among febrile children and its theoretical impact on antibiotic use. Prospective study including consecutive children <5 years of age who presented in one French paediatric emergency department with fever without source between January and December 2016. With the collected data, we constructed a CDR based on a sequential approach based on age, clinical toxic signs, urinalysis and procalcitonin level. We evaluated its diagnostic performances to identify IBI and its potential impact on antibiotic use. Among the 1061 children (IBI 11/1061, 1.0%), 693 (65.3%) were classified at low or intermediate risk of IBI, with an IBI prevalence of 0%. The sensitivity and specificity of the CDR to predict IBI were 100% and 73.9%. Negative and positive predictive value were 100% and 3.9%, respectively. Using this new CDR, the current antibiotics exposure would theoretically be reduced from 33.6% to 24.1%. The promising interest of this clinical decision rule, using simple and accessible biological and clinical tools, needs to be confirm with an external validation study, which will allow its use in clinical practice.

Performance Evaluation of Host Biomarker Combinations for the Diagnosis of Serious Bacterial Infection in Young Febrile Children: A Double-Blind, Multicentre, Observational Study

The diagnosis of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in young febrile children remains challenging. This prospective, multicentre, observational study aimed to identify new protein marker combinations that can differentiate a bacterial infection from a viral infection in 983 children, aged 7 days-36 months, presenting with a suspected SBI at three French paediatric emergency departments. The blood levels of seven protein markers (CRP, PCT, IL-6, NGAL, MxA, TRAIL, IP-10) were measured at enrolment. The patients received the standard of care, blinded to the biomarker results. An independent adjudication committee assigned a bacterial vs. viral infection diagnosis based on clinical data, blinded to the biomarker results. Computational modelling was applied to the blood levels of the biomarkers using independent training and validation cohorts. Model performances (area under the curve (AUC), positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-)) were calculated and compared to those of the routine biomarkers CRP and PCT. The targeted performance for added value over CRP or PCT was LR+ ≥ 5.67 and LR- ≤ 0.5. Out of 652 analysed patients, several marker combinations outperformed CRP and PCT, although none achieved the targeted performance criteria in the 7 days-36 months population. The models seemed to perform better in younger (7-91 day-old) patients, with the CRP/MxA/TRAIL combination performing best (AUC 0.895, LR+ 10.46, LR- 0.16). Although computational modelling using combinations of bacterial- and viral-induced host-protein markers is promising, further optimisation is necessary to improve SBI diagnosis in young febrile children.

Guideline adherence in febrile children below 3 months visiting European Emergency Departments: an observational multicenter study

Febrile children below 3 months have a higher risk of serious bacterial infections, which often leads to extensive diagnostics and treatment. There is practice variation in management due to differences in guidelines and their usage and adherence. We aimed to assess whether management in febrile children below 3 months attending European Emergency Departments (EDs) was according to the guidelines for fever. This study is part of the MOFICHE study, which is an observational multicenter study including routine data of febrile children (0–18 years) attending twelve EDs in eight European countries. In febrile children below 3 months (excluding bronchiolitis), we analyzed actual management compared to the guidelines for fever. Ten EDs applied the (adapted) NICE guideline, and two EDs applied local guidelines. Management included diagnostic tests, antibiotic treatment, and admission. We included 913 children with a median age of 1.7 months (IQR 1.0–2.3). Management per ED varied as follows: use of diagnostic tests 14–83%, antibiotic treatment 23–54%, admission 34–86%. Adherence to the guideline was 43% (374/868) for blood cultures, 29% (144/491) for lumbar punctures, 55% (270/492) for antibiotic prescriptions, and 67% (573/859) for admission. Full adherence to these four management components occurred in 15% (132/868, range 0–38%), partial adherence occurred in 56% (484/868, range 35–77%).Conclusion: There is large practice variation in management. The guideline adherence was limited, but highest for admission which implies a cautious approach. Future studies should focus on guideline revision including new biomarkers in order to optimize management in young febrile children.What is Known:• Febrile children below 3 months have a higher risk of serious bacterial infections, which often leads to extensive diagnostics and treatment.• There is practice variation in management of young febrile children due to differences in guidelines and their usage and adherence.What is New:• Full guideline adherence is limited, whereas partial guideline adherence is moderate in febrile children below 3 months across Europe.• Guideline revision including new biomarkers is needed to improve management in young febrile children.

Serious bacterial infections in young children with fever without source after discharge from emergency department: A National Health Insurance database cohort study.

Well-appearing febrile young children discharged from the emergency department (ED) after medical assessment are still at risk for serious bacterial infections (SBI). The incidence of SBI and the effectiveness of laboratory tests in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era remain unknown. We conducted a study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims data from 2004 to 2014. Children aged 2-24 months discharged from the ED with a diagnosis compatible with fever without source (FWS) were enrolled. The study identified 431,884 children from the ED with FWS. 13.53% of the children had revisits, 8.62% needed hospitalization and 1.57% developed SBI. Younger children had a higher SBI rate, but a lower revisit rate. The revisit rate was 12.22% for children aged 2-6 months, 13.61% for children aged 7-12 months and 13.77% for children aged 13-24 months (p<0.0001). The SBI rate was 4.44% for children aged 2-6 months, 1.85% for children aged 2-6 months and 0.96% for children aged 13-24 months (p<0.0001). Children with hemogram tests, compared to those without, had a higher revisit rate (16.30% vs. 13.15%, p<0.0001), and a higher SBI rate in the children aged 13-24 months (1.30% vs. 0.92%, p<0.0001); furthermore, children with urinalysis had a significantly higher revisit rate (14.42% vs. 13.24%, p<0.0001) and higher SBI rate (2.10% vs. 1.40%, p<0.0001). Children with FWS aged 2-24 months who were discharged from ED after blood test and urinalysis were still at risk for SBI, especially those aged 2-6 months.

Yale observational score (YOS) to detect serious bacterial infections in young febrile children

Fever is one of the common presentation of children to paediatric emergency. Fever is defined as axillary temperature of ≥ 99.5 °F. A young febrile child without definite localizing sign of infection may develop bacteraemia and serious bacterial infection (SBI) leading to fatal outcome. Hence, an early diagnosis of SBI in a febrile child is crucial to reduce childhood mortality. Yale observation scale utilizes some simple clinical parameters to predict serious bacterial infection in young children. Hence this study is undertaken to test the utility of YOS in predicting serious bacterial infection in small children so as to investigate them in time and start treatment early to prevent complications. 150 consecutive children 1-36 months of age with axillary temperature&amp;#62;99.5 ̊F were enrolled and YOS scoring assigned to each of them. This was followed by physical examination and extensive laboratory testing with CBC, Urine and routine microscopy, chest x-ray, CRP, blood and urine cultures. In patients with SBI, the YOS of ≤10 was observed in only 9.23% (6/65) of patients compared to 48.24% (41/85) of patients without SBI. There was a significantly high YOS i.e. &amp;#62;10 in patients diagnosed with SBI (χ =24.26; P &amp;#60;0.0001).Mean temperature elevation, higher values of TLC, ANC and CRP positivity results in higher YOS scoring and more chance to have serious bacterial infection. : YOS score is very useful in ruling out serious bacterial infection in 1-36 months age group at cut-off value of 12. Significantly higher scores (&amp;#62;16) depict essentially serious bacterial infection and poorer outcome.

Clinical Utility and Accuracy of UTI Calculator for Estimating the Probability of Urinary Tract Infection in Young Febrile Children

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of the UTI Calculator (UTI Calc) in predicting UTI in children by comparing the results of urine culture sensitivity tests (C/S). Study Design: Cross-sectional/descriptive study Place and Duration: The study was conducted at Urology Ward of Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, Swat during the period from 1st June 2020 to 31st December 2020. Methods: A total of eighty five children having ages from 4 to 24-months were presented. Children with fever &gt;38oC were included. Following informed written agreement from the authorities, the demographics of enrolled cases were documented. Efficacy of UTI calculator was assessed in terms of diagnosing urinary tract infection among children. SPSS 21.0 was used to analyze complete data. Results: Among 85 cases, majority were male 50 (58.8%) infants and 35 (41.2%) were females. The mean age of the children was 8.44±7.65 years. Frequency of UTI was found among 9 (10.6%) febrile infants. Among 85 patients clinical UTI was high in 45 (52.9%) cases and by urine examination UTI found among 10 (10.6%) cases. Frequency of sensitivity was 100% and specificity 96%. E. coli was the predominant bacterium in 10 (11.8%) and urine cultures positive in (7.1%). Conclusion: In children, just a few clinical signs and symptoms are helpful in diagnosing or ruling out a urinary tract infection. Clinical prediction rules may be more accurate, but they need be externally verified. Urine collection should not be limited to children who have an unexplained fever or other symptoms that imply a urinary tract infection.

Obesity and febrile urinary tract infection in young children.

Obesity is a risk factor for infectious diseases. However, the relationship between obesity and febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) is controversial. This study aimed to determine the relationship between obesity and fUTI in young children. We analyzed the medical records of children aged <2 years who were admitted to our hospital because of fever between April 2013 to March 2018. The children were categorized into three groups of non-obese, overweight, and obese according to the World Health Organization weight-for-length curves for children aged <2 years. A total of 600 patients were enrolled in this study, of whom 118 were diagnosed with first fUTI. Patients in the fUTI group were younger than those in the control group (patients who were diagnosed with other febrile diseases) (5 ± 5.11 vs 11 ± 6.53 months; P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the populations of overweight and obese children between the fUTI and control groups. In the fUTI group, the duration of fever, types of pathogen, recurrent rate, the grades of vesicoureteral reflux, and renal scarring were not associated with obesity. The white blood cell count and C-reactive protein levels were not significantly different among the three weight-for-length categories. The same results were obtained when the fUTI group was compared with an age-matched control group (n = 192, 4 ± 2.55 months old; P = 0.261). Obesity is not a significant risk factor for fUTI in febrile hospitalized young children. Our study suggests that conducting urinalysis for febrile young children without obvious sources, irrespective of obesity, should be considered.

United States' Emergency Department Visits for Fever by Young Children 2007-2017.

IntroductionOur goal in this study was to estimate rates of emergency department (ED) visits for fever by children <2 years of age, and evaluate frequencies of testing and treatment during these visits.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of ED encounters from 2007–2017 using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a cross-sectional, multi-stage probability sample survey of visits to nonfederal United States EDs. We included encounters with a visit reason of “fever” or recorded fever in the ED. We report demographics and management strategies in two groups: infants ≤90 days in age; and children 91 days to <2 years old. For patients 91 days to <2 years, we compared testing and treatment strategies between general and pediatric EDs using chi-squared tests.ResultsOf 1.5 billion encounters over 11 years, 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9–2.2%) were by children <2 years old with fever. Two million encounters (95% CI, 1.7–2.4 million) were by infants ≤90 days, and 28.4 million (95% CI, 25.5–31.4 million) were by children 91 days to <2 years. Among infants ≤90 days, 27.6% (95% CI, 21.1–34.1%) had blood and 21.3% (95% CI, 13.6–29.1%) had urine cultures; 26.8% (95% CI, 20.9–32.7%) were given antibiotics, and 21.1% (95% CI, 15.3–26.9%) were admitted or transferred. Among patients 91 days to <2 years in age, 6.8% (95% CI, 5.8–7.8%) had blood and 7.7% (95% CI 6.1–9.4%) had urine cultures; 40.5% (95% CI, 40.5–40.5%) were given antibiotics, and 4.4% (95% CI, 3.5–5.3%) were admitted or transferred. Patients 91 days to <2 years who were evaluated in general EDs had higher rates of radiography (27.1% vs 15.2%; P<0.01) and antibiotic utilization (42.3% vs 34.2%; P<0.01), but lower rates of urine culture testing (6.4% vs 11.6%, p = 0.03), compared with patients evaluated in pediatric EDs.ConclusionApproximately 180,000 patients ≤90 days old and 2.6 million patients 91 days to <2 years in age with fever present to US EDs annually. Given existing guidelines, blood and urine culture performance was low for infants ≤90 days old. For children 91 days to <2 years, rates of radiography and antibiotic use were higher in general EDs compared to pediatric EDs. These findings suggest opportunities to improve care among febrile young children in the ED.

Paediatric Escherichia coli bacteraemia presentations and high-risk factors in the emergency department.

Escherichia coli (Ecoli) is a known cause of paediatric bacteraemia. The main objective was to characterise the emergency department (ED) presentations of paediatric Ecoli bacteraemia and secondarily to identify those related to greater severity. This was a sub-study of a multicentre cross-sectional prospective registry including all with Ecoli bacteraemia episodes between 2011 and 2016. We used multiple correspondence and cluster analysis to identify different patterns. We included 291 patients and 43 met criteria for severe disease (14.3%, 95% confidence interval 11.2-19.3). We identified four types of paediatric Ecoli bacteraemia presentations. Two (178 patients, 61.2%) were related to well-appearing previously healthy infants with associated urinary tract infection (UTI). Well-appearing children older than 12months old with underlying disease (n=60, 20.6%) and non-well-appearing children of different ages (n=53, 18.2%) corresponded to the other two types; these had associated UTI infrequently and higher severity rate (15% and 50.9%, respectively, higher when compared with the two previous types, P<.01), including the two patients who died. There were four different types of ED paediatric Ecoli bacteraemia presentations with different severity. Febrile young children with associated UTI showed the best outcome.

Assessment of the impact of a new sequential approach to antimicrobial use in young febrile children in the emergency department (DIAFEVERCHILD): a French prospective multicentric controlled, open, cluster-randomised, parallel-group study protocol

IntroductionFever is one of the most common reasons for consultation in the paediatric emergency department (ED). Because of fear of bacterial infection in parents and caregivers, clinicians often overprescribe laboratory...

Diagnostic accuracy of Yale observational scale in bacteremia in infants and children.

Bacteremia is the presence of viable bacteria in the circulating blood. Bacteremia is diagnosed by blood culture. Yale Observation Scale (YOS) is a scale consisting of six observational items originally and is validated in young febrile children to detect serious illness. If YOS found to be highly accurate, it will help us to design a protocol for early screening and diagnosis of bacteremia in infants so that patient’s morbidity and mortality can be minimized by early treatment. Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of Yale Observation Scale (YOS) for diagnosing bacteremia, taking blood culture as gold standard. Study Design: Cross-Sectional Validation study. Setting: Department of Pediatrics, D.H.Q Hospital, Faisalabad. Period: 26th May, 2016 to 25th November, 2016. Material &amp; Methods: One hundred and five patients suffering from fever&gt;38 0C, having age from 3-36 months were included in the study. Patients already taking antibiotics, immune compromised, patients with signs and symptoms of malaria or viral infections were excluded. YOS was calculated and blood culture was performed in all patients to diagnose bacteremia. Results: Out of 105 patients, mean age was 12.9±8.24 months. There were 55(52.4%) male and 50(47.6%) female patients. Sensitivity of YOS in diagnosing bacteremia was 90.63%, specificity 79.45%, PPV 65.91%, NPV 95.08% and diagnostic accuracy was 82.86%. Conclusion: YOS can be used as a key diagnostic tool in detecting bacteremia. So, by using this tool many cases in the rural areas can be diagnosed and managed early.

Urinary Tract Infection in Febrile Children with Sickle Cell Disease Who Present to the Emergency Room with Fever.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients are thought to be at higher risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs) compared to the general population secondary to increased sickling, abnormal urinary acidification, and an inability to concentrate the urine. The incidence of UTI in febrile children with SCD in the United States is unknown. Our objectives were to determine the rate of UTI among febrile SCD children and describe the risk factors for UTI in this population. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all febrile SCD patients <4 years of age who presented to a pediatric emergency department from 2012–2017 and who had a sterile sample of urine for analysis. A total of 167 febrile patients with SCD with 464 visits were identified. The majority were African American (95.2%), female (58.7%), and had hemoglobin SS (HbSS) (65.3%). The rate of UTI was 4.1%. All patients with a UTI were African American females with a median age of 19 months (IQR 12–30). On regression analysis, no risk factors were associated with a UTI. We found the rate of UTI in febrile young children with SCD was comparable to non-SCD children. Larger studies are required to identify the presence of risk factors for UTI in this population.

Yale observation scale for bacterial infection in febrile children

Background: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of mortality in children under 5 years by UNICEF statistics which is difficult to diagnose because of nonspecific initial clinical presentation and potential for rapid deterioration. In this regard use of Yale Observation Scale assists in early recognition of serious bacterial infection than other laboratory investigation as it is simple, quick, easy to apply and cost-effective bed side scale.Methods: All eligible young febrile infants and children were consecutively enrolled in the study. Axillary temperatures of the cases were documented. Yale observation scoring was done. Blood sample were sent for culture and sensitivity. Colonies were identified morphologically by Gram stain and biochemically. The collected data was analyzed using ROC curve for finding cut off scores of Yale Observation Scale for prediction of severe bacterial illness and final outcome. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 14 for MS Window.Results: Bacteremia was found in 23(15.3%) out of total 150 young febrile children enrolled in the present study. It shows that in lower YOS score blood culture was sterile and in higher YOS score blood culture was positive for bacteremia, which is statistically significant with p value (&lt;0.05). As per ROC curve analyses the best cut off value of YOS for prediction of bacteremia was 17.5 with sensitivity 91.3%, specificity 81.9%, PPV 47.7% and NPV of 98.1%.Conclusions: YOS of &gt;17.5 has a good predictive ability for prediction of bacteraemia in young febrile children.

Assessment of the utility of Yale observation scale as a predictor of bacteremia in children aged 3 months to 36 months

Background: The Yale observation scale (YOS) is an illness severity helps to diagnose bacteremia based on simple noninvasive clinical signs and symptoms. The aim of the present study was to assess the utility of YOS as a predictor of bacterial infection in febrile children aged 3 to 36 months.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 200 children aged 3 to 36 months presenting with fever, at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children during the period from April 2016 to September 2016. Rectal temperature was taken for all children. Clinical examination was done as required based on the YOS and scores were given accordingly at the time of initial presentation of the child before invasive investigations. All the observation was assessed statistically and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was performed to analyze the sensitivity of the YOS.Results: Highly significant correlation (p=0.0001) was found to exist between the age of the child, duration of the fever, higher body temperature &gt;104, WBC count, ANC and improved condition of patient with higher YOS. ROC curves showed that the sensitivity and specificity of YOS at the best cut off value of 14.5 was found to be 97% and 79.6% respectively.Conclusions: YOS is very good tool for predicting bacteremia in young febrile children based on simple non-invasive clinical signs and symptoms. The findings ruled out by YOS aids in the immediate and early management of bacterial infections before the arrival of the results of the biochemical diagnostic tests.

Clinical features of Epstein-Barr Virus-associated Infectious Mononucleosis According to Age Group in Children

Objectives Few studies of pediatric Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated infectious mononucleosis (IM) have been conducted in Korea. We evaluated the clinical features of children with IM to define differences according to age. Methods We conducted retrospective chart reviews of 68 children aged 0 to 15 years who were diagnosed by EBV-associated IM with EBV-Viral Capsid Antigen(VCA) IgM at laboratory test and were admitted between 2010 and 2014. The children were classified into four age groups: aged 0–3, 4–6, 7–9, and 10–15 years. Results The age distribution of patients was as follows: 19 (27.9%) 0–3, 25 (36.8%) 4–6, 13 (19.1%) 7–9, and 11 (16.2%) 10–15. Fever was the most common presentation regardless of age. It was more common in the 0–3 group than the 4–6 group ( P = 0.018). Pharyngitis was more common in the 7–9 group than the 0–3 group ( P = 0.048), and myalgia was more common in the 10–15 group than the 0–3 group ( P = 0.007). Pharyngitis was accompanied by lymphadenopathy, protracted fever, and rash. In the 0–3 age group, the prevalence of rash was higher while the percentage of atypical lymphocytes was lower, but there was no statistical support for this tendency. There were no differences in the frequency of hepatosplenomegaly or laboratory findings between age groups. Conclusions IM is not uncommon in young children and its clinical presentation varies with age. Therefore, IM should be suspected in young febrile children with pharyngitis and rash despite low percentages of atypical lymphocytes.

Update on Associated Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Management of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Children.

Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) continues to challenge pediatric care providers. The diagnosis of an rUTI can be difficult, especially in young febrile children. Antibiotic resistance rates continue to rise, which limits oral treatment options. Prophylactic antibiotics are used commonly to manage rUTI, but their use increases the risk of rUTI with antibiotic-resistant strains without significantly reducing renal scarring. Alternative therapies for rUTI include probiotics and anthocyanidins (eg, cranberry extract) to reduce gut colonization by uropathogens and prevent bacterial adhesion to uroepithelia, but efficacy data for these treatments are sparse. The future of rUTI care rests in addressing the following contemporary issues: best diagnostic practices, risk factors associated with rUTI, and the prevention of recurrent infection. In this review, we summarize the state of the art for each of these issues and highlight future studies that will aim to take an alternative approach to managing rUTI.

Development and Validation of a Calculator for Estimating the Probability of Urinary Tract Infection in Young Febrile Children

Accurately estimating the probability of urinary tract infection (UTI) in febrile preverbal children is necessary to appropriately target testing and treatment. To develop and test a calculator (UTICalc) that can first estimate the probability of UTI based on clinical variables and then update that probability based on laboratory results. Review of electronic medical records of febrile children aged 2 to 23 months who were brought to the emergency department of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An independent training database comprising 1686 patients brought to the emergency department between January 1, 2007, and April 30, 2013, and a validation database of 384 patients were created. Five multivariable logistic regression models for predicting risk of UTI were trained and tested. The clinical model included only clinical variables; the remaining models incorporated laboratory results. Data analysis was performed between June 18, 2013, and January 12, 2018. Documented temperature of 38°C or higher in children aged 2 months to less than 2 years. With the use of culture-confirmed UTI as the main outcome, cutoffs for high and low UTI risk were identified for each model. The resultant models were incorporated into a calculation tool, UTICalc, which was used to evaluate medical records. A total of 2070 children were included in the study. The training database comprised 1686 children, of whom 1216 (72.1%) were female and 1167 (69.2%) white. The validation database comprised 384 children, of whom 291 (75.8%) were female and 200 (52.1%) white. Compared with the American Academy of Pediatrics algorithm, the clinical model in UTICalc reduced testing by 8.1% (95% CI, 4.2%-12.0%) and decreased the number of UTIs that were missed from 3 cases to none. Compared with empirically treating all children with a leukocyte esterase test result of 1+ or higher, the dipstick model in UTICalc would have reduced the number of treatment delays by 10.6% (95% CI, 0.9%-20.4%). UTICalc estimates the probability of UTI by evaluating the risk factors present in the individual child. As a result, testing and treatment can be tailored, thereby improving outcomes for children with UTI.

Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin for the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections.

To determine the accuracy of the novel biomarker urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) to diagnose urinary tract infections (UTIs) in febrile infants and young children. Prospective cross-sectional study of febrile infants <3 months ( ≥ 38.0°C) and children 3 to 24 months (≥ 39.0°C) evaluated for UTIs. uNGAL levels, urinalysis, Gram-stain and culture were obtained. UTI was defined by colony counts. Of 260 patients, 35 (13.5%) had UTIs. Median uNGAL levels were 215.1 ng/mL (interquartile range: 100.3-917.8) and 4.4 ng/mL (interquartile range: 1.6-11.8) in the groups diagnosed with and without UTIs, respectively. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for uNGAL was 0.978 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.948-1.000). At a threshold uNGAL level of 39.1 ng/mL, sensitivity was 97.1% (95% CI: 83.4-99.9) and specificity was 95.6% (95% CI: 91.7-97.7). uNGAL had higher sensitivity than the combination of leukocyte esterase (in trace or greater amounts) or nitrite (+) (97.1%, 95% CI: 83.4-99.9 vs 74.3%, 95% CI: 56.4-86.9), with similar specificity (95.6%, 95% CI: 91.7-97.7 vs 97.3%, 95% CI: 94.0-98.9). uNGAL had higher sensitivity than Gram-stain (97.1%, 95% CI: 83.4-99.9 vs 74.3%, 95%: CI: 56.4-86.9), with similar specificity (95.6%, 95% CI: 91.7-97.7 vs 100.0%, 95% CI: 97.9-100.0). uNGAL has substantial accuracy to identify those with and without UTIs in infants and young children. Further studies will need to confirm our findings and determine if uNGAL is a more cost-effective test than standard screening tests.

Urinary YKL-40 as a Candidate Biomarker for Febrile Urinary Tract Infection in Young Children.

BackgroundGiven that YKL-40 is a known marker of inflammation, we sought to determine its association with urinary tract infection (UTI) in febrile children.MethodsIn total, 44 children aged 0 to 24 months with febrile UTI and 35 age- and sex-matched controls with fever from other causes were enrolled in the study. ELISA was performed to determine the level of YKL-40 in urine collected from each child.ResultsThe ratio of urinary YKL-40 to creatinine (Cr) was higher in the children with a UTI than in the controls (P<0.001). The area under the ROC curve for detecting UTI was 0.88 for the urinary YKL-40/Cr ratio, 0.86 for pyuria, and 0.71 for positive nitrite on urinalysis. We applied a cut-off value of 125.23 pg/mg to urinary YKL-40/Cr for detecting UTI. Eight of nine children in the control group with pyuria had urinary YKL-40/Cr levels lower than 125.23 pg/mg, and the one child in the UTI group without pyuria or positive nitrite had a urinary YKL-40/Cr level greater than 125.23 pg/mg.ConclusionsDetermining the levels of urinary YKL-40/Cr may help identify true cases of UTI in febrile young children, especially when they have pyuria but not nitrite, or have neither pyuria nor nitrite in the urine.