EVALUATION OF THE FREQUENCY OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN CHILDREN WITH FEBRILE SEIZURES HOSPITALIZED IN SHAHID MOTAHARI HOSPITAL, URMIA, FROM 2020 TO 2021

Background & Aims: Infection is a cause of fever and seizures, and urinary tract infections are common in childhood.Delayed diagnosis may lead to severe complications.Given the conflicting results in studies examining the relationship between febrile seizures and urinary tract infection in children, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections in children with fever and seizures at the Shahid Motahari Educational Center, Urmia. Materials & Methods:This retrospective cross-sectional study included 790 patients aged 6-60 months with fever and seizures who were referred to Shahid Motahari Hospital, Urmia, between April 2021 and March 2022.Demographic characteristics and clinical parameters were extracted and analyzed from the patient records.Urinary tract infections were characterized by the presence of more than 100,000 bacterial colonies per milliliter of urine. Results:The prevalence of urinary tract infections in children with fever and seizures was 9.87%.The mean age of patients with urinary tract infection was 35.8512.96months, with a urinary tract infection frequency of 57.69% in boys and 42.30% in girls.Fever of 38.5-39C was most frequent, and the mean duration was 31.5910.63hours, with most patients experiencing high fever for 24 to 36 hours.The interval between fever onset and seizures was 12.973.09hours, with most seizures occurring within 9 to 12 hours of fever onset.Escherichia coli was the most prevalent urinary microorganism.Among the patients, 6 (7.69%) had a family history of fever and seizures, 9 (11.53%) had a history of fever and seizures, and 14 (17.94%) had a history of urinary tract infection. Conclusion:This study indicated a significant prevalence of urinary tract infections in children with febrile seizures and provided insights into the demographic and clinical characteristics of this population.These findings emphasize the importance of routine screening for urinary tract infections in children with febrile seizures and the need for prompt treatment to prevent recurrent episodes and associated complications.