This disorder is characterized by an "inflammation of the bladder wall, generally due to a" bacterial infection.
The main beat responsible for the onset of cystitis in children is the "Escherichia coli. In fact, this microorganism is the triggering cause of urinary tract infections in more than 75% of cases. However, cystitis can also be caused by other Gram-negative microorganisms (such as, for example, Klebsiella pneumoniae) or Gram-positive bacteria, such as some types of streptococci and staphylococci.
Cystitis - and more generally urinary tract infections - can affect both infants, young children and school-age children. As in the case of adults, even in pediatric patients the incidence of cystitis seems to be higher in females than in males, especially after the age of four.
, K. Pneumoniae, etc.), but which can sometimes also be sustained by Gram-positive bacteria (such as staphylococci and streptococci).
The causes capable of triggering the aforementioned bacterial infection can be of different origins and nature and can concur with each other in the etiology of this disorder.
- Abnormalities in the functionality of the urinary tract;
- Malformations and alterations in the structure of the urinary tract, including kidneys;
- Presence of vesicourethral reflux;
- Diabetes;
- Urinary tract obstructions;
- Use of bladder catheters;
- Lowering of the immune defenses;
- Poor intimate hygiene;
- Use of too aggressive detergents.
In infants and very young children, cystitis can manifest itself with rather general signs and symptoms, such as irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting, lethargy and apparently inexplicable fever.
In children over the age of two, on the other hand, cystitis usually presents with symptoms very similar to those experienced by adolescents and adult patients. Among these symptoms, we remember:
- Increase in the number of urinations throughout the day (pollakiuria);
- Difficulty urinating
- Hematuria;
- Pyuria;
- Urinary retention;
- Pain and / or burning when urinating
- Bladder tenesmus;
- Cloudy, foul-smelling urine
- Bedwetting (if the child is already using the toilet).
However, it can sometimes happen that cystitis in children is asymptomatic and that it is randomly diagnosed in the course of normal routine examinations.
However, if not promptly diagnosed and / or if not adequately treated, the infection that caused the cystitis could spread and reach the genital and upper urinary tracts. In the latter case we speak of pyelonephritis.
Therefore, in the event that the child presents any of the aforementioned symptoms, it is essential to immediately contact your pediatrician or your doctor.
.The urine sample must be taken in an appropriate manner and will subsequently be subjected to specific tests, aimed at determining bacterial contamination both from a quantitative point of view (in order to verify the "actual presence of an" infection), and from a qualitative point of view (in order to be able to implement the most suitable therapeutic strategy to eradicate the microorganisms responsible for the infection).
of antibiotic drugs.
Among the active ingredients most used for the treatment of cystitis in children are penicillins, such as amoxicillin (Zimox®) and ampicillin (Amplital®), and cephalosporins, such as, for example, cefixime (Cefixoral®). Usually, it is preferred to use these drugs orally, but if this is not possible, the doctor may consider giving the drug parenterally. The dose of antibiotic to be administered for the treatment of cystitis in children varies according to the patient's body weight and age. Therefore, the doctor will decide - on a strictly individual basis - both the exact dosage of the drug and the type of antibiotic drug that each child will have to take.
In the event that the child also has a high fever, the doctor may decide to administer antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol (Tachipirina ®).
Finally, in the most serious cases, the doctor may deem it necessary to hospitalize the child, where all the necessary tests will be carried out and the most suitable pharmacological therapies will be instituted.
