Parental reporting of smelly urine and urinary tract infection.

BACKGROUND Parents often report that young children have "smelly urine" or a particular urinary odour. There is little evidence that these observations are relevant to the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI). AIMS To determine whether parental reporting of smelly urine is of any relevance to the diagnosis of UTI in children less than 6 years of age. METHODS Parents whose children were having urine collected as part of their admission to a large district hospital were given a simple questionnaire to complete regarding the current smell of their child's urine. Parents were asked whether their child's urine smelled different from usual or had a particular smell. Microscopy and culture results of the child's urine were compared to their parent's questionnaire answers to see if there was a association between parental reporting of a different or particular urine smell and a diagnosis of UTI. RESULTS One hundred and ten questionnaires and urine samples were obtained. Fifty two per cent of parents thought that their child's urine smelled different from usual or had a particular smell. Only 6.4% of children were diagnosed as having a UTI. There was no statistically significant association between parental reporting of abnormal urine smell and diagnosis of UTI. CONCLUSION In determining whether a young child has a UTI, asking parents about urine smell is unlikely to be of benefit.