What question did this study set out to answer?

Evaluate general practitioners' self-reported knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric urinary tract infection management in primary healthcare centers in Muscat, Oman.

July 5, 2026World Advances in Renal Medicine0 citationsOpen Access

Primary care gaps in pediatric urinary tract infection management: Knowledge, attitudes, and reported practices among general practitioners in Muscat, Oman, and potential implications for renal outcomes

AHAlya Ali Abdullah Al HasniDirectorate General of Health Services MJMuneera Al JaafariDirectorate General of Health Services RJRuqayah Al JabriDirectorate General of Health Services

Key Points

Evaluate general practitioners' self-reported knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric urinary tract infection management in primary healthcare centers in Muscat, Oman.
Multi-center, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted across 30 PHCs in Muscat (July 2022–February 2023).
Administered a 29-item validated questionnaire to 227 GPs with a 90.4% response rate.
Descriptive statistics summarized self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices.
99.0% of GPs correctly identified unexplained fever as a key UTI symptom in infants under 3 months.
Only 7.5% recognized urgent referral criteria for infants under 3 months, against established guidelines.
59.8% incorrectly believed a 3-day antibiotic course suffices for lower UTI.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate general practitioners’ (GPs’) self-reported knowledge and attitudes towards paediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) management in primary healthcare center (PHCs) in Muscat, Oman, with emphasis on potential implications for kidney outcomes and referral pathways. Material and Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted across all 30 PHCs in Muscat Governorate (July 2022–February 2023). This study adhered to the Strengthening of the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines for cross-sectional studies. A validated 29-item questionnaire (Content validity ratio 0.78–1.0; Cronbach’s α = 0.80), based on Royal Hospital and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, was administered to 227 GPs (response rate: 90.4%). Descriptive statistics summarized self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and stated referral practices. Results: Most GPs correctly identified key UTI symptoms in infants 59%. Over half (59.8%) incorrectly believed a 3-day antibiotic course suffices for lower UTI. Recognition of risk factors for kidney complications (e.g., constipation and spinal lesions) was suboptimal (73–75%). Conclusion: While GPs demonstrated adequate self-reported recognition of pediatric UTI symptoms, significant gaps persist in stated referral criteria, antibiotic stewardship preferences, and risk factor awareness, which may contribute to delayed diagnosis, antimicrobial resistance, and theoretical implications for kidney health. These findings underscore the need for targeted continuing medical education and development of a standardized national PHC guideline aligned with nephrology best practices to support kidney-protective care.

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