Toddler possible UTI - WWYD?

[Hartleyhare1206]

My DD 3.6 has had 3 UTIs since Feb - 2 really nasty resulting in a trip to children’s ward, 3rd diagnosed early so not so bad. She has never really seemed 100% right since to be honest.
Anyway, last week she seemed really out of sorts, restless, irritable, having temp spikes - not especially high at 38.5 ish (she has regularly hit the dizzying heights of 41 in the past so this isn’t too high for her) temp drops back down a degree or so before spiking again, doing this several times a day; and she is visiably hot and grumpy when it does. Keeps dashing off to wee before literally just passing a couple of drops and saying it won’t come out and she will try later. Quite pale and dark circles under eyes and wee quite stinky.
Enough to make me suspect another UTI. Have some testing strips (reputable brand and well in date etc) so dipped her wee on Friday night and it immediately showed high levels of leucocytes, protein and blood in her wee. So a UTI then?! Kept an eye on her over weekend and she was no worse, but yesterday went off her food (a big alarm bell with her she eats like a horse!) so had a telephone consultation with GP who agreed it was a UTI, didn’t feel the need to see her or redip wee as everything fitted the pattern and she has a history of them so I know what to look for and had tested myself. Didn’t want to expose Me or DD to possible COVID germs at the practice by seeing her which is fine by me!
Anyway, he prescribed ABs which I’ve just collected. Don’t know why but I thought I’d dip her wee again. And the results look much improved from last week. No leucocytes or protein although blood still present. She is still warm but lively and eating well today.
So, should I still give her the ABs? Wait a couple of days? Give them anyway? I’m confused as to what I should do for the best....don’t want to withhold treatment if she needs it; the two trips to hospital with her with undiagnosed and well developed UTIs were more than enough for me; I don’t want to risk further problems, but likewise after 3 UTIs and 7 bouts of tonsilitis In the last few months means she has had more ABs than I’d like so don’t want to give them needlessly!

Arrrggghh it’s hard. Can a UTI in a child go by itself? What should I do wise people of mumsnet?!

I would give them. Unless she's had scans you haven't mentioned, this is a child with recurrent UTI who hasn't had kidney reflux ruled out (rather hard to do at this age). So there's a tiny chance of infections going back up to the kidney. Which has a chance of causing scarring. So I'd sooner err on the side of treating.

@nocoolnamesleft thanks for your reply.

The last infection was nasty (and not handled especially well at hospital) our lovely GP suspects it may have tracked to her kidneys as she was SO poorly and for quite a while. He has referred her for a kidney scan but that was 6 weeks ago and we haven’t received an appointment yet. He is chasing.

Assuming this is a UTI, it’s number 4 in almost as many months so he has also requested she has a blood test as she has had a rubbish 12 months full of constant infections.

I would give her the antibiotics to be sure the infection is treated. I'd also suggest when the course of antibiotics is finished, hand a sample into the gp for them to send to the lab for testing to ensure no further bacteria is left that may reoccur. If she gets another one in the future I'd insist that they send off a sample to check what bacteria is present and what antibiotic it is sensitive to, to make sure she gets the right antibiotic. UTI causing bacteria become resistant to commonly used antibiotics fairly often.

The NICE guideines say that children with recurrant uni's should be referred to paediatrics, so might be worth talking to your gp about that.

Hope she feels better!

I would definitely give them. As someone whose suffered them myself , I can’t imagine not taking the AB.
Do they know what’s causing them?

@IwillrunIwillfly the GP has sent one sample to the lab but it was inconclusive, the second time DD just couldn’t get enough wee out to be of use to the lab and the third time I took a sample and the receptionist misunderstood, just dipped it and because the dip was clear didn’t send it off and chucked her sample. I only found that bit out this morning and went a bit mad so they asked me to take another sample today to send of which is hopefully more useful.
Gp is contacting paediatrics to get their advice as she has had a crap 12 months with recurrent infections (skin infections and tonsilitis) so he wants their take on it.

@Thewoodstar if she was acting unwell I’d give them in a heartbeat but she has spent the morning in the park, eaten me out of house and home and when I checked her temp at bedtime it was down to 37.1 so I’m just doubting myself.
Very confused that a positive dip (and it was high levels detected, in no way borderline) has now been replaced by a normal dip today. She still seems very tired and pale etc but is weeing a bit more freely today.

It’s 5 days of amoxicillin if that is relevant.

Thanks so much for all replies, I really am grateful of your time and responses xxx

Hey when my daughter had a uti she was specifically told by the consultant that 10 days of amoxicillin is what is needed to clear it. Is she maybe not having antibiotics long enough? Have they identified the Bacteria ie cultured her sample?