Urinary tract infections in children due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Enugu, Nigeria

During a 4-year period, March 1989 to February 1993, 22 children with proven urinary tract infections (UTI) due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied retrospectively. The infections were more common in males (59 per cent), with the highest number of cases 10 (46 per cent) occurring in the 1-4 year age group. Sixty-eight per cent of the children had risk factors for infection with renal diseases, accounting for 36 per cent, followed by surgery of the urinary tract/catheters (23 per cent). The unavailability of the newer antipseudomonal antibiotics, coupled with the occurrence of predisposing factors, makes the elimination of the organisms difficult, thus leading to prolonged and costly treatment.