Pediatric UTI Risk Score Estimator

FAQs

1) What age group is this calculator intended for?

It is designed for febrile children aged 2 to 23 months who are being evaluated for urinary tract infection. Different criteria may apply for neonates, older children, or ill-appearing patients.

2) What clinical factors increase risk?

Higher risk is associated with any of the following: age < 12 months, maximum temperature ≥ 39 °C, fever ≥ 48 hours, being female or an uncircumcised male, absence of another source of fever, and a history of prior UTI.

3) What thresholds do clinicians often use?

Published work suggests testing is commonly considered when the predicted risk is around ≥ 2% using clinical variables alone, and empiric treatment is considered around ≥ 5% when laboratory findings are incorporated, pending culture.

4) Can dipstick results change the risk?

Yes. Positive nitrites and higher‑grade leukocyte esterase substantially increase the probability of UTI, while negative results modestly reduce it. This tool offers an illustrative adjustment; definitive diagnosis still relies on urine culture.

5) Is race included as a predictor?

No. Contemporary practice has moved away from including race in prediction models for equity reasons. The clinical factors used here focus on age, temperature, sex/circumcision, duration of fever, prior UTI, and other fever sources.

6) Is this calculator identical to UTICalc?

No. It is inspired by the same evidence base but uses a simplified, point‑based approach for educational purposes and public use on websites. For clinical care, refer to validated tools and institutional guidelines.

7) Where can I read more about the evidence?

See peer‑reviewed sources on pediatric UTI diagnosis, including the UTICalc model (JAMA Pediatrics 2018) and subsequent evaluations. Many guidelines recommend culture confirmation and suggest commonly used cutoffs of ~2% (test) and ~5% (treat) when combining clinical and lab findings.