Cochrane: In
some children with urinary tract infection (UTI), the infection is
localized to the bladder (lower urinary tract). In others, bacteria
ascend from the bladder to the kidney (upper urinary tract). Only
children with upper urinary tract involvement are at risk for developing
permanent kidney damage. If non-invasive biomarkers could accurately
differentiate children with lower urinary tract disease from children
with upper urinary tract disease, treatment and follow-up could
potentially be individualized. Accordingly, we examined the usefulness
of three widely available blood tests (procalcitonin, C-reactive
protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) in differentiating upper from
lower urinary tract disease.