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Decreased incidence of urinary tract infections in febrile infants aged ≤60 days during COVID-19 pandemic

Orfanos, Ioannis LU orcid (2024) In Acta Pædiatrica
Abstract
Aim
To investigate the incidence rate of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among febrile infants aged ≤60 days before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective study in 2 Swedish paediatric emergency departments between 2014 and 2022. We included full-term infants aged ≤60 days with fever without source. We calculated the annual incidence rate of UTI per 1000 births.
Results
We included 1589 full-term infants with fever without source. In 2020, 89 infants were evaluated in the emergency department versus 203–259 in 2017–2019. In 2020, the incidence rate of UTI was 1.43 per 1000 births/year versus 2.18–2.37 in 2017–2019. The median age, sex, fever duration, and urine testing were... (More)
Aim
To investigate the incidence rate of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among febrile infants aged ≤60 days before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective study in 2 Swedish paediatric emergency departments between 2014 and 2022. We included full-term infants aged ≤60 days with fever without source. We calculated the annual incidence rate of UTI per 1000 births.
Results
We included 1589 full-term infants with fever without source. In 2020, 89 infants were evaluated in the emergency department versus 203–259 in 2017–2019. In 2020, the incidence rate of UTI was 1.43 per 1000 births/year versus 2.18–2.37 in 2017–2019. The median age, sex, fever duration, and urine testing were similar between the years 2017 and 2020.
Conclusion
The number of febrile infants who presented to the paediatric emergency department and the incidence rate of UTIs decreased in 2020. This decrease might imply a systematic misdiagnosis of UTIs in infants with febrile viral infections. A more selective urine testing approach for febrile, previously healthy, infants should be considered to mitigate UTI misdiagnosis and its potential harmful effects.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Acta Pædiatrica
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:38676461
  • scopus:85191872310
ISSN
1651-2227
DOI
10.1111/apa.17256
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
69375c33-ac57-43bb-ace0-31b7c237ff2b
date added to LUP
2024-04-29 07:56:43
date last changed
2024-05-21 14:17:15
@article{69375c33-ac57-43bb-ace0-31b7c237ff2b,
  abstract     = {{Aim<br/>To investigate the incidence rate of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among febrile infants aged ≤60 days before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.<br/>Methods<br/>We conducted a retrospective study in 2 Swedish paediatric emergency departments between 2014 and 2022. We included full-term infants aged ≤60 days with fever without source. We calculated the annual incidence rate of UTI per 1000 births.<br/>Results<br/>We included 1589 full-term infants with fever without source. In 2020, 89 infants were evaluated in the emergency department versus 203–259 in 2017–2019. In 2020, the incidence rate of UTI was 1.43 per 1000 births/year versus 2.18–2.37 in 2017–2019. The median age, sex, fever duration, and urine testing were similar between the years 2017 and 2020.<br/>Conclusion<br/>The number of febrile infants who presented to the paediatric emergency department and the incidence rate of UTIs decreased in 2020. This decrease might imply a systematic misdiagnosis of UTIs in infants with febrile viral infections. A more selective urine testing approach for febrile, previously healthy, infants should be considered to mitigate UTI misdiagnosis and its potential harmful effects.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Orfanos, Ioannis}},
  issn         = {{1651-2227}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Pædiatrica}},
  title        = {{Decreased incidence of urinary tract infections in febrile infants aged ≤60 days during COVID-19 pandemic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/apa.17256}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/apa.17256}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}