FREQUENCY AND CORRELATES OF BACTERIURIA AMONG CHILDREN WITH NEUROGENIC BLADDER

Bacteriuria is a common clinical problem among children with neurogeni c bladder due to meningomyelocele or traumatic spinal cord injury. To determine the frequency of bacteriuria among affected children at our institution, we obtained 257 urine specimens from 105 children being s een as outpatients for routine care over a 2-year study period. Specim ens were obtained via catheterization. Almost half of these specimens (110/257 or 43%) yielded positive results when tested for urinary path ogens. To assess whether any characteristics of these children were re lated to the likelihood of bacteriuria, we analyzed further a subgroup of 46 children with normal renal ultrasonography from whom two to fiv e specimens were obtained. There were no statistically significant ass ociations between the likelihood of bacteriuria and the following char acteristics: age, gender, socioeconomic status, level of spinal cord l esion, voiding technique, and use of prophylactic antibiotics. Childre n with neurogenic bladder are at high risk for bacteriuria. The pathog enesis of this bacteriuria, its part in deterioration of the urinary t ract, and the possible means of its prevention in this special populat ion all deserve further study.