Antibiotic prophylaxis for childhood urinary tract infection: a national survey.

AIMS: To describe attitudes of paediatricians and paediatric nephrologists regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for urinary tract infection (UTI) and determine the factors associated with its use.

METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to Canadian paediatricians (1136) and paediatric nephrologists (42).

RESULTS: The response rate was 58.1% (684 physicians); 436 who had made a decision about antibiotic prophylaxis for childhood UTI in the previous year were included in the analysis. Of these, 407 (93.3%) were certified in paediatrics and 29 (6.7%) were paediatric nephrologists. Most respondents prescribed prophylaxis for children with grade III-V vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) (96.5%-98%); 69.8 and 92.8% prescribed it for children with grades I and II VUR, respectively. Factors significantly associated with use of prophylaxis for children with grade I VUR were frequency of decision-making about prophylaxis, city size and province. Fifteen percent of physicians felt that their practice regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for children with VUR was evidence based. A hundred one respondents (24.3%) prescribed prophylaxis for infants with a first febrile UTI in the absence of VUR. Nineteen percent felt that their practice regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for these infants was evidence based. Prescription of prophylaxis for children >12 months with recurrent UTI in the absence of VUR was influenced by frequency of pyelonephritis (88.5% of respondents) and presence of voiding dysfunction (53.8%). Nine percent of physicians felt that their practice for these children was evidence based.

CONCLUSION: Opinions of Canadian paediatricians and paediatric nephrologists regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for UTI in children vary widely, probably because of the paucity of solid evidence about prophylaxis.