Urinary tract infection in under 16s: diagnosis and management
This guideline covers diagnosing and managing first or recurrent upper or lower urinary tract infections in infants, children and young people. It aims to achieve more consistent clinical practice, based on accurate diagnosis and effective management.
In October 2018, we updated or replaced recommendations on acute pyelonephritis and lower urinary tract infection to bring them in line with NICE’s antimicrobial prescribing guidelines on pyelonephritis (acute), urinary tract infection (lower) and urinary tract infection (recurrent).
UTI is a common bacterial infection causing illness in infants and children. It may be difficult to recognise UTI in children because the presenting symptoms and signs are non-specific, particularly in infants and children younger than 3 years. Collecting urine and interpreting results are not easy in this age group, so it may not always be possible to unequivocally confirm the diagnosis.