Study wins RCGP’s Research Paper of the Year

Researchers from Cardiff University's Centre for Trials Research are part of a team which has won a prestigious award for research into the diagnosis of urinary tract infections in children. The research won category three (Children, Reproduction, Genetics, Infection) in the Royal College of GP's Research Paper of the Year, published in conjunction with colleagues at Oxford University and Bristol. Urinary tract infections (UTI) in young children can lead to kidney damage, but are notoriously difficult to diagnose in primary care because symptoms can often be vague and unclear. A definitive diagnosis can only be achieved by a urine test, but collecting urine samples from babies and children under five is a challenge. After a three-year study involving more than 7,000 children, the team has developed a technique to help GPs and nurses to decide from which children a urine sample should be collected. The technique could reduce the amount of time and effort used to collect unnecessary urine samples and increase sampling among children most likely to have a UTI. The researchers hope this will also help GPs and nurses better target antibiotic prescribing so only those who are likely to benefit from antibiotics receive them.