Recruitment to diagnosis of urinary tract infections in young children (DUTY) study: an evaluation of the successful methods used in a primary care, prospective cohort study

Timely diagnosis, prognostic value of clinical signs and further treatment of patients of an early age with urinary tract infections (UTI) during outpatient stage are important constituents of an integrated management of patients in childhood. The article deals with new approaches concerning clinical algorithm in diagnosis of urinary tract infections in children. The algorithm of diagnostic and therapeutic measures for providing care to children under 5 years of age with urinary tract infections, in particular at the stage of primary care, includes: diagnosis of urinary tract infection in young children using The Diagnosis of Urinary Tract infection in Young children, patient’s examination by Gorelick Scale and UTIcalc, imaging methods with mandatory ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder, micturating cystogram after the first episode of infection in boys and the second — in girls, the prescription of antibiotic therapy based on data from regional monitoring of antibiotic resistance of the main groups of uropathogens, monitoring antibiotic resistance using electronic means and the implementation in microbiological laboratories of the guidelines of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, as well as introduction of the prescription sale of antibiotics.

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Workload, diagnostic work-up and treatment of urinary tract infections in adults during out-of-hours primary care: a retrospective cohort study

BMC Family Practice ◽

10.1186/s12875-020-01305-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michelle Spek ◽

Jochen W. L. Cals ◽

Guy J. Oudhuis ◽

Paul H. M. Savelkoul ◽

Eefje G. P. M. de Bont

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Urinary Tract ◽

Urinary Tract Infections ◽

Electronic Patient Records ◽

Out Of Hours ◽

Diagnostic Work ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Work Up ◽

Diagnostic Work Up

Abstract Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in primary care. Previous research showed that GPs find it challenging to diagnose UTIs and frequently divert from guidelines leading to unwarranted antibiotic prescriptions and inefficient use of diagnostics such as urinary cultures. We hypothesise that management of UTIs during out-of-hours care may be extra challenging due to a higher workload and logistical issues regarding diagnostic work-up and obtaining results. We therefore aimed to study the workload, diagnostic work-up and treatment of UTIs during out-of-hours primary care. Methods We performed a retrospective observational cohort study in which we analysed a full year (2018) of electronic patient records of two large Dutch GP out-of-hours centres. All adult patients with UTI symptoms were included in this study. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression were used to analyse diagnostics and subsequent management. Results A total of 5657 patients were included (78.9% female, mean age of 54 years), with an average of eight patients per day that contact a GP out-of-hours centre because of UTI symptoms. Urinary dipsticks were used in 87.5% of all patients visiting the out-of-hours centres with UTI symptoms. Strikingly, urinary cultures were only requested in 10.3% of patients in which urinary culture was indicated. Seventy-four percent of the patients received antibiotics. Seventy-nine percent of the patients with a negative nitrite test still received antibiotics. Remarkably, patients at risk of complications because of a UTI, such as men, received fewer antibiotic prescriptions. Conclusions In total, 74% of the patients received antibiotics. 8 out of 10 patients still received an antibiotic prescription in case of a negative nitrite test, and 9 out of 10 patients with an indication did not receive a urine culture. In conclusion, we found that correctly diagnosing UTIs and prescribing antibiotics for UTIs is a challenge that needs major improvement, especially during out-of-hours GP care.

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