Home culturing program for children with recurrent bacteriuria

R. S. Fennell, S. Austin, R. D. Walker, E. H. Garin, N. D. Pryor, C. D. Sorgen and G. A. Richard

One hundred forty-one children were selected from a clinic for children with recurrent bacteriuria to participate in a home culturing program. The parent was taught to employ a semiquantitative method to test the child's urine for bacteria. The degree and persistence of bacteriuria as detected by the parent strongly correlated with results obtained in the clinic, although there was a significant incidence of false-positive results as detected by the parent. Home culturing proved to be an inexpensive, reliable technique for following up children with recurrent urinary tract infections.