Epidemiologic trends in pediatric urinary tract infections in United States emergency departments from 2016 to 2023
Abstract
Objective Urinary tract infections are a common consideration when assessing pediatric patients with fever. With rising resistance rates and increased focus on antibiotic stewardship, current management needs to be better understood. This study reports the incidence and antibiotic distribution in a nationwide cohort of pediatric emergency department (ED) patients with cystitis and pyelonephritis during an 8-year period. Methods We performed a cohort study from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023, using Epic Cosmos data. Pediatric ED patients (<18 years) with an ICD-10 code corresponding to cystitis or pyelonephritis were included. The outcomes were the total number of ED presentations, outpatient antibiotic prescriptions, and antibiotics administered in the ED for patients admitted with cystitis or pyelonephritis. Binary logistic regression models were used to measure the relationship between the year and the dependent variables. Results Among 46,774,814 total pediatric ED visits, 720,863(1.5%) were for cystitis, and 82,717 (0.2%) were for pyelonephritis. Among those admitted, the most common antibiotics were third-generation cephalosporins (cystitis, 55.6%; pyelonephritis, 62.3%), first-generation cephalosporins (cystitis, 13.8%; pyelonephritis, 13.7%), and ampicillin (cystitis, 10.8%; pyelonephritis, 6.6%). First-generation cephalosporin use rose over time, while ampicillin and ciprofloxacin use declined. Among discharged patients, the most common antibiotics were…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
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