Defining complicated urinary tract infection and route of antibiotics in children presenting to the emergency department: a cohort study using the Melbourne RUPERT clinical score.

OBJECTIVES: Most children with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) can be managed with oral antibiotics. However, identifying those likely to fail oral and need intravenous antibiotics due to complicating features at presentation is challenging. We aimed to derive, validate and test a score to guide initial antibiotic route. DESIGN: This cohort study enrolled children both prospectively and retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received intravenous or oral antibiotics after 24 hours, including those who switched between routes. Children diagnosed with confirmed UTI were used to derive then validate the score, comparing complicating clinical features between the two groups. Combinations of significantly differentiating features generated receiver operating characteristic curves and the optimal cut-off for intravenous antibiotic use was selected. SETTING: The emergency department of a tertiary paediatric hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All children aged 3 months-17 years with suspected UTI were eligible, and were included if they fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for UTI. OUTCOME MEASURES: The effectiveness of the derived clinical score to differentiate patients at presentation who had complicated UTI requiring ongoing intravenous antibiotics. RESULTS: There were 1240 patients, of whom 167 children aged 12 months-11 years with confirmed UTI comprised the derivation cohort. The combination of features that performed optimally (area under curve 0.85, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.91) were: rigors, urological abnormality, fever (≥38°C), emesis, recurrent (≥3) UTI, tachycardia: the RUPERT score (1 point each, maximum 6). A score ≥3 accurately classified route of antibiotics after 24 hours for 80% patients (sensitivity 77%, specificity 81%). For the 168 patients in the validation cohort, the score accurately classified 76% (sensitivity 67%, specificity 78%). The score tested well in 'probable' UTI and adolescents, and less well in infants. CONCLUSION: The Melbourne RUPERT score provides the first standardised, easy-to-use score to aid clinicians in deciding route of antibiotics for more complicated UTI in children. It now needs prospective validation.

Selected Children With Complicated Acute Urinary Tract Infection May Be Treated With Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy at Home Directly From the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy offers the option of treating children requiring intravenous antibiotics for acute urinary tract infection (UTI)/pyelonephritis at home. We aimed to determine the outcomes of treating patients with UTI/pyelonephritis using outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy directly from the emergency department (ED) without admission to hospital. METHODS: This was a retrospective study (August 2012-July 2016) of children with UTI/pyelonephritis treated with parenteral antibiotics via a peripheral cannula directly from ED to home under a hospital-in-the home (HITH) program. Data collection included demographics, clinical features, length of stay, complications, and readmissions to hospital. RESULTS: There were 62 patient episodes of UTI/pyelonephritis transferred directly from ED to HITH. Fifty-eight (94%) had systemic features including fever, vomiting and/or tachycardia. Eighteen (29%) patients had an underlying condition. Nine (15%) received intravenous fluids and 8 (13%) antiemetics in ED. The outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy course was successfully completed in 56 (90%) patients. Of 6 (10%) patients who were readmitted, 2 were discharged within 24 hours, and none were severely unwell. Two (3%) had a blocked cannula, with no antibiotic complications. HITH patients were treated for a combined total of 142 days at home resulting in a cost saving of Australian dollar 108,914 (US dollar 82,775). However, only 8% of children deemed to require a course of intravenous antibiotics were transferred directly home from ED. Compared with patients concurrently admitted to hospital, fewer on HITH were less than 1 year of age (13% vs. 33%; odds ratio: 0.3; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Selected patients presenting to ED with UTI/pyelonephritis may be treated directly via HITH, including some with underlying conditions and/or systemic features.