Urinary Tract Infection
When should you worry?
RED
If your child has any of the following features:
- Breathing very fast, too breathless to talk, eat or drink
- Working hard to breathe, drawing in of the muscles below the ribs, or noisy breathing (grunting)
- Breathing that stops or pauses
- Is pale, blue, mottled or feels unusually cold to touch
- Difficult to wake up, very sleepy or confused
- Weak, high-pitched cry or can’t be settled
- Has a fit (seizure)
- Has a rash that does not go away with pressure (the ‘Glass Test’)
- Is under 3 months old with temperature more than 38°C or under 36°C (unless fever in the 48 hours following vaccinations and no other red features)
You need urgent help.
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or phone 999.
AMBER
If your child has any of the following features:
- Is refusing to take their antibiotics or not keeping them down due to vomiting
- Gets back pain
- Seems to be getting worse despite being on antibiotics for more than 2 days
- Temperature of 38°C or above for more than 5 days or shivering with fever (rigors)
- Temperature less than 36°C in those over 3 months
- Breathing a bit faster than normal or working a bit harder to breathe
- Dry skin, lips or tongue
- Not had a wee or wet nappy in last 8 hours
- Poor feeding in babies (less than half of their usual amount)
- Irritable (Unable to settle them with toys, TV, food or hugs even after their fever has come down)
- Is 3-6 months old with temperature 39°C or above (unless fever in the 48 hours following vaccinations and no other red or amber features)
- Getting worse and I am still worried
You need to contact a doctor or nurse today.
Please ring your GP surgery or contact NHS 111 - dial 111 or for children aged 5 years and above visit 111.nhs.uk
Green
None of the features above
Self care
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, contact NHS 111 – dial 111 or for children aged 5 years and above visit 111.nhs.uk
Advice and Guidance
Self care and Prevention
How can I help my child?
- Ensure they get antibiotics at regular intervals as instructed by your doctor
- Children with UTIs may be uncomfortable so you may wish to give them paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with their pain
What investigations will they need?
- A UTI is diagnosed by testing a sample of your child's urine (pee), (urinary pad sample or a clean catch into a pot)
- It will take a couple of days to get the results back - your child's antibiotics may be stopped or changed at that point
- Your child may need scans which will be organised by your doctor
What is the treatment?
- Your child will need antibiotics to treat their UTI. Most children with a bladder infection can be managed with oral antibiotics
- If your child has a kidney infection or if they are very young (under 3 months of age), they may need to go to hospital for antibiotics through a drip in their vein
Help your child to avoid getting UTIs in the future
- Ensure your child drinks plenty of water - aim for 6-8 glasses daily
- Ensure your child goes to the toilet regularly - aim for every 2-3 hours, including at school
- Treat constipation - see your GP
- Encourage girls to wipe their bottom from front to back
- Use loose-fitting cotton underwear
- Avoid bubble bath and excessive soap in the bath
Worried that your child has got another UTI?
- Next time your child has a fever for no obvious reason, especially if nobody else is unwell in the family, make sure a urine sample is checked. If your child has a UTI, it is important that it is diagnosed and treated early. That way, there is far less chance that it will cause long term damage to their kidneys
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