Urinary tract infection in girls - aftercare

Description

Your child had a urinary tract infection and was treated by a health care provider. This article tells you how to take care of your child after she has been seen by a provider.

What to Expect at Home

Symptoms of urinary tract infection (UTI) should begin to improve within 1 to 2 days of starting antibiotics in most girls. The advice below may not be as accurate for girls with more complex problems.

Treating the Infection

Your child will take antibiotic medicines by mouth at home. These may come as pills, capsules, or a liquid.

Other treatments include:

Preventing Future UTIs

The following steps can help prevent UTIs in girls:

To avoid hard stools, your child should eat foods that are high in fiber, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Follow-up

Call your child's provider after the child finishes taking the antibiotics. Your child may be checked to make sure the infection is gone.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your child's provider right away if she develops:

These may be signs of a possible kidney infection.

Also, call if your child has already been diagnosed with a UTI and symptoms of a bladder infection come back shortly after finishing the antibiotics. Symptoms of bladder infection include:

References

Cooper CS, Storm DW. Infection and inflammation of the pediatric genitourinary tract. In: Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 25.

Jerardi KE, Jackson EC. Urinary tract infections. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 553.

Williams G, Craig JC. Long-term antibiotics for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;4(4):CD001534. PMID: 30932167 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30932167/.

Wu HY, Shortliffe LMD. Urinary tract infections, renal abscess, and other complex renal infections. In: Long SS, ed. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 48.


Review Date: 7/1/2023
Reviewed By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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