EURICA

The Epidemiology of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Children with Acute Illness in Primary Care (EURICA) study aimed to determine how often urine infections were the underlying cause of an acute illness in young children.

Background

The EURICA study was a large study of 1,003 children in Wales. Children who were less than five years old and presenting to their GP with an acute illness were included in the study.

The strength of the study was that urine samples were requested from all ill children irrespective of whether the GP suspected a UTI or not. This was important as symptoms of UTI in young children are non-specific (e.g. fever, poor appetite, generally unwell). It is therefore difficult to diagnose UTI, and it is thought that cases may be missed. It is important not to miss cases of UTI in young children as they can cause serious illness and possibly long-term complications.

Results

The EURICA study found that 5.9% (5.9 out of every 100 children) who presented to the GP with an acute illness, actually had a UTI when their urine was tested in the NHS laboratory. This was higher than previously suspected. The study also found that there were no specific symptoms or signs which could be used to reliably rule out UTI in children less than three years old. For children aged three to five years old, with no urinary symptoms, UTI was unlikely.