Help, my 5 month old son has been hospitalized due to UTI (with bulging fontanel).?

Question

A neurologist got a lumbar tap due to his bulging fontanel but CSF is clear and normal. His urinalysis WBC result is TNTC (too numerous to count), he stayed in hospital for 1 week until urine culture and urinalysis were cleared. His KUB (kidney & urinary bladder) ultrasound is normal. There is this final test called VCUG to test for reflux which i'm not sure my son can handle. To those who knew (a doctor) or experience (parents) the same pls. give me advise & info on this. i will appreciate it very much. thanks.

Answer 1

hey - my bub has kidney problems... His left kidney doesnt work completely and has already had 1 operation on it... He has had heaps of tests done - One for reflux (I cant remember the name) but its when they put a catheter in and injected his bladder with a whole heap of saline solution and watched when he weed to see if reflux accured under an x-ray type thing... Its really not that stressful. I thought it would be horrible as bub was only 3 weeks old but it was ok.

Don't worry too much - Bub wont remember it!

The worst that can happen, if he has reflux is that bub will need to be on antibiotics at least until he/she is toilet trained. Thats what my bub is on...

He doesnt mind it anymore either - it did upset his belly for a while but is better now. If you are worried about all the medication, then I was advised to put a pinch of inner health plus for children in one of his bottles. It will help the good bacteria in his stomach to stay there as the antibiotics get rid of all good and bad bacteria.

Also - if you were worried about medication and his teeth - dont be - they will be fine! They wont be effected.

My bub has to have ultra sounds every 6 months now until its safe to say that he is stable - I am guessing your bub will need the same.

Its strange, but you will get used to it all. All the ultra sounds and medication - just becomes a part of your life and it really wont effect your bub badly at all! ITs a shake up to start with but then when you think about it... Our bubs could have way more seriouse problems hey! SO i am pretty thankful.

Good luck, hope he starts to feel better soon. x*x  

Answer 2

would leave my patients on the antibiotic until after the study. If your son has reflux he will require long-term antibiotic therapy and follow-up studies. The most important issue with children with reflux is preservation of the renal function and allowing for normal and complete growth of both kidneys. This means avoiding infections of the kidneys to prevent harmful scarring. Sometimes patients are placed on long-term prophylactic antibiotic therapy. These regimens are usually safe as long they are tolerated well by the child. If your child were managed conservatively(medically) periodic follow-up studies must be done to ensure normal scar free growth. Also a physical exam should be performed with special inclusion of height and weight parameters and blood pressure measurements. Laboratory studies should include a urinalysis and urine culture at each visit In terms of radiology tests, a IVP or ultrasound should be obtained every 18-24 months. After the initial VCUG has been performed to establish the current grade of reflux, a follow-up study should be performed to establish an interval relationship or resolution.

Overall, children do very well with prophylactic antibiotics and you can follow the kidney and bladder over time with repeat Ultrasounds, and VCUGs. Reflux can run in families and sibling screening is may be necessary.

This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.