Cost-Benefit of Urinary Tract Infection Work-up Debated

Several letters have been received questioning whether Dr Rapkin's proposal for work-up of children with one urinary tract infection (UTI) was realistic (Pediatrics in Review 1:133, 1979). Dr Weagly of the Quincy Clinic, Quincy, Illinois, pointed out that the cost in their clinic was as follows: [See table in the PDF file] He feels that it is unrealistic to expect a family to attempt to finance this expense. He ends his thoughtful letter with "I feel that there must be a middle ground that will help the patient and still keep expenses under control." Dr Berger of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, comments similarly that Dr Rapkin's recommendations that patients with even one documented UTI should have radiographs to rule out associated anomalies of the urinary tract, would be very costly.