recurring UTIs

[smokeybandit]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone else has had a dc with urine infections that just keep coming back? My dd10 has been having them pretty much since she was around 5 or so. At least 2 or three each year and some years more than that. In the last 3 years she's been under 1 consultant who has been very helpful and had a yearly visit with her as well as ordering yearly ultrasound scans to check on kidney growth as she's also been a slow grower (137.1cm tall and 26.4kg weight at age 10). She's also has a dmsa scan a couple of years ago. Nothing has been concretely decided as to what is causing such frequent inections. Last month we had the yearly consultant check up. We said she'd actually been really well the past year and we're hoping things had moved forward but he did a urine dip just for records and found she had an infection!!

He asked if she'd had any symptoms (felt like an awful mum right then) and all shed had was one day the previous week that she'd had a side pain for an hour, which we thought was possibly due to gymnastics shed been doing, and had felt quite hot but otherwise we'll for half a day another time in the week. He said ANY time she gets a pain or a temp, have the urine tested. Well after that course of antibiotics we had her tested and the urine was clear. Now roughly a month later she's come down with a raging temperature of 41.2 which lowers with ibuprofen/paracetamol but goes up again when it wears off. Have seen gp today and got antibiotics and have called consultants secretary so she can update dad's record as he wanted to further investigate if more UTIs.

From previous scans he told us she has kidney scarring and reduced function of 39%left kidney and 61% right kidney. But that info is from September. She's due another ultrasound this September but it just feels too far away now. Has anyone else got experience with this type of thing? The consultant is on leave at the moment and they wouldn't say when he will be back. I'm not sure if I should do/try anything else in the meantime. She drinks water - maybe not enough, has plain baths...

[smokeybandit]

Sorry for the errors in that!

[InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream]

I'm surprised she hasn't had a MCUG scan to check for urinary reflux- I thought that was standard with recurrent UTIs. In the meantime test her urine v regularly and get her to drink lots of water.

[smokeybandit]

An MCUG hasn't even been mentioned actually, I think I thought that was part of what the DMSA scan was for. Doctors swapped her antibiotics last week from trimethoprim to coamoxiclav as they weren't working after three days and she's all better now, testing urine in the morning just to be sure. The consultant is back so awaiting his call now. Thank you for mentioning an MCUG, I'll bring this up as I've seen another record that says "suspected duplex system" which also hadn't been discussed and having looked it up would seem to tie in with possible reflux!

[InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream]

I thought it was fairly standard to do DMSA to check kidney function and scarring, and an MCUG to check for reflux and obstructions. MCUG is usually only done once, and the DMSA and/or MAG3 are often done regularly. Good luck! Is she under a paediatric urologist? Hope so, rather than just a paediatrician

[smokeybandit]

We've always just called him the consultant but he's on the renal floor/section so hoping so. Had post meds urine test today- + proteins and ++ blood so still not cleared! Going back to walk in centre today as they will have the urine culture from last week. Just feel bad for her poor kidneys!

[InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream]

Poor thing- I think I would push for further action-- if she does have reflux or other anomaly then so sooner this is found and treated then the sooner you can stop any further kidney damage.