FREQUENCY OF CULTURE POSITIVE URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN FEBRILE CHILDREN IN BACHA KHAN MEDICAL COMPLEX/GAJJU KHAN MEDICAL COLLEGE SWABI

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent cause of fever in young children and, if untreated, can result in significant kidney consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of culture-positive UTIs in sick children aged 1 to 11 years, as well as to evaluate the relationship between gender and culture findings. Methods: For six months, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Bacha Khan Medical Complex/Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi. A convenient method was used to find 96 children with fevers between the ages of one and five. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and correlation analysis were used for data analysis using SPSS version 27. Results: Among the 96 patients, 43.8% were female and 56.3% were male. The most prevalent symptoms, as indicated by 62.5% of patients, were urgency and increased urination. According to culture findings, 56.3% of patients tested positive, with females having a substantially higher positivity rate (71.4%) than men (44.4%) (p = 0.008). The most frequently identified organisms were Escherichia coli (56.3%), Klebsiella (37.5%), and Proteus (6.3%), the last one of which was exclusively detected in male patients. There were notable positive associations between age and both fever (r = 0.489) and UTI recurrence (r = 0.421). Higher maximum temperature was also strongly correlated with recurrent UTIs (r = 0.684), all at p < 0.01, with antibiotic usage varied by gender. Conclusion: Females had a higher percentage of culture-positive UTIs, with E. coli being the most common infection. The prescription of antibiotics showed clear gender-based disparities, highlighting the need for focused, research-based treatment approaches.