Urinary Reflux Treatment

The most common way urinary reflux is discovered is when a child has recurrent urinary tract infections. She will be sent to an urologist who will order further testing to determine the best method of treatment.

Causes of Reflux

• Urinary reflux occurs when the valve connecting the ureters to the bladder is defective and allows the urine to back up into the ureters and sometimes back into the kidneys. This creates an infection.

Signs and Symptoms

• A child with urinary reflux might complain about his stomach hurting or about a burning sensation when urinating. He might have to urinate more frequently then usual. A fever will also signal an infection caused by the reflux.

Diagnosis

• The doctor will collect a urine sample and will send it to a lab for a culture. If the culture is positive, the physician will use the test results to determine the best method of treatment. If the infections are recurrent, the physician will order an ultrasound or a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) to diagnose urinary reflux. A VCUG is a series of x-rays that examine the urinary tract.

Antibiotic Treatment

• If the child has mild reflux, the condition will be monitored to see if it goes away on its own. Recurring infections caused by reflux might require antibiotic therapy on a daily basis until the child outgrows the condition. This is called prophylactic antibiotic therapy.

Surgical Treatment

• If the reflux is severe or if the child doesn't outgrow it by age five, the urologist will need to repair the valve through surgery. This will prevent the urine from flowing backwards into the ureters and will prevent future infections and damage to the urinary tract and kidneys.

Warning

• Untreated reflux can lead to recurring urinary tract infections which can scar and damage the kidneys. If left untreated, this can lead to kidney failure, a life-threatening condition.