Diagnosis and management of urinary tract infection in children: summary of NICE guidance

Although urinary tract infection affects at least 3.6% of boys and 11% of girls, establishing the diagnosis is difficult in early childhood owing to the lack of specific urinary symptoms, difficulty in urine collection, and contamination of samples. Most children have a single episode and recover promptly. Current imaging, prophylaxis, and prolonged follow-up strategies place a heavy burden on patients, families, and NHS resources and carry risks without evidence of benefit. This article summarises the most recent guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on how to provide consistent clinically and cost effective practice for the diagnosis, treatment, and further management of urinary tract infection in childhood.1 NICE recommendations are based on systematic reviews of best available evidence. When minimal evidence is available, a range of consensus techniques is used to develop recommendations. In this summary, recommendations derived primarily from consensus techniques are indicated with an asterisk (*). ### Assessment and diagnosis