Using a PICO(T) Framework and Evidence to Develop Care Practices for Pediatric UTI’s
Capella University
NURS-FPX 4030
2
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent bacterial infections in children.
Children with urinary symptoms and febrile infants, 6%-8% of them have a UTI.
Occurrences differ with age, climaxing in young infants, children, and teens. UTI are
more apt to occur in females and uncircumcised male babies since bacteria concentrations
are high under the diaper in the infancy, at the foreskin of uncircumcised males, and at
the shorter urethral distance. It can be managed with antibiotic prophylaxis strategies.
Healthcare providers face challenging decisions about the optimal duration and dosing of
antibiotic therapy to effectively prevent recurrence while minimizing risks of
antimicrobial resistance and adverse effects.
The PICO(T) framework helps to create clear clinical questions and evaluate
evidence for treatment decisions. This paper applies the PICO(T) methodology to explore
the comparative effectiveness of low dose versus long term antibiotic therapy for UTI
management in Pediatric patients.
, Definition of Practice and PICO(T) Questions
The PICO(T) analysis explores the optimal antibiotics prophylaxis
strategy for preventing recurrent UTI’s in pediatric patients. UTIs are considered
recurrent if symptoms show up two or more times n 6 months. One out of three children
with UTIs will have recurrent episodes. Antibiotic prophylaxis reduces recurrent UTIs in
the young population (Nelson et al., 2024; Barola et al., 2024). The management
approach varies widely among clinicians, with debate surrounding the appropriate
duration and dosing of antibiotic prophylaxis.
PICO(T) formatted research question