The physicians and staff of the Pediatric Urology Group evaluate and treat your child’s pediatric urological condition with the expertise of a skilled professional and the compassion of a caring parent.
Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) Repair
Pyeloplasty, daVinci Robotic Assisted
Undescended Testis (Orchiopexy)
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Treatment
Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) Treatment
The hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine.
A thin, flexible tube (about the diameter of a coffee stirrer) used to move fluids in or out of the body.
A pair of organs on the right and left sides of the abdomen that clears poisons from the blood, regulate acid concentrate and maintain water balance in the body by excreting urine.
An inflammation of the kidney and upper urinary tract that usually results from a non-contagious bacterial infection of the bladder.
One of a pair of tubes that carries urine from each kidney to the bladder.
The canal through which urine is discharged from the bladder.
The organs of the body (kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra) that produce and discharge urine.
Normal urine is sterile and contains no bacteria. However, bacteria are present in the rectal area and within bowel movements. At times, these bacteria may get into the urinary tract and travel up the urethra into the bladder. When this occurs, the bacteria multiply until they cause infection. The infection can cause inflammation, swelling and bladder pain. And if the bacterial reaches the kidneys, a serious infection known as pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney) can occur.
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) include pain and irritation caused by the lining of the urethra, bladder, kidney and ureters becoming red and irritated. The child may have accidents, frequent and/or painful urination and possibly bloody urine. The urine may have an unpleasant odor and appear cloudy. An older child may complain of lower stomach pain. Fever often accompanies a kidney infection.
The only way to diagnose a urinary tract infection is with a urine test. If your toddler isn’t yet toilet trained, a plastic bag will be attached to their skin to collect a sample. Older children can urinate into a collection cup. Sometimes it may be necessary to pass a catheter into the urethra to collect a bacteria-free sample.
The urine sample will be examined under a microscope to see if an infection is present. The physician may also perform a urine culture, in which the bacteria from your child’s urine will be grown in the laboratory in order to identify the bacteria to see what medications will most effectively treat it.
Most often, UTIs are treated with antibiotics. The choices depend on the type of urine infection, and it may be changed throughout the treatment process. Parents must encourage their children to drink fluids and urinate frequently.
If your child is unable to take in fluids, he or she may be admitted to the hospital where the antibiotics can be injected directly into their bloodstream or muscle and your child’s condition can be closely monitored. Though he or she will appear greatly improved in a few days, it may often take weeks before all symptoms are gone. It is important that parents make sure that all the antibiotic medicine is administered, even if the symptoms have diminished.
Unless the UTI causes serious damage to the bladder or kidneys, surgery is not required.