OBJECTIVE To analyze the situation of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children of different age groups in a health care hospital of Guangxi, and to analyze the detected pathogens and drug resistance rate. METHOD Data on urinary tract infections in children between 2017 and 2023 in Guangxi provincial maternal and child healthcare hospitals were retrospectively analyzed, and children were classified according to age: neonates(≤28 days), infants (>28 days and ≤1 year), preschoolers(>1 year and < 6 year) and 6-14 years old. The urinary tract infections, pathogen identification and drug resistance rates of major pathogens in children of different age groups were analyzed.

RESULTS The pathogens of pediatric UTIs in each group were dominated by gram-negative bacilli (44.16%-67.36%), with the highest percentage of Escherichia coli (21.81%-38.60%), gram-positive infections were dominated by Enterococcus faecium (5.96%-21.40%) and Enterococcus faecalis (4.66%-13.68%), and fungi were dominated by Candida albicans (8.03%-12.75%). Admission to intensive care unit was higher in the neonates group (37.38%, P < 0.001). Urine culture positivity rate was elevated in the 6-14 years age group (31.93%, P < 0.001), with girls being more common (59.47%, P < 0.001). The rate of E. coli resistance to cephalosporins was relative high in urine culture isolates from the infant group (28%-54%). In addition, the resistance rate of Enterococcus faecium from urine to ampicillin was higher in the infant group than that in the preschool children and 6-14 years old groups (P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS The gram-negative bacteria were dominant among the pathogens isolated from the children with urinary tract infections and showed certain drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics. Urinary tract infections are more difficult to diagnose and treat in younger children, and pediatricians should pay more attention to them.