Frequency of Urinary Tract Infection in the Late Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Late neonatal sepsis is a serious condition that develops during the second through fourth week of life and is a remarkably important disease and death causative condition among newborns. Urinary tract infection is among the prominent yet underrated disease and death causative conditions of late neonatal sepsis. Diagnosis of urinary tract infection among this patient group is important in guiding therapy, averts complications, and promotes survival. Statistics regarding the prevalence of urinary tract infection in this regard are scanty, particularly among local communities. Objective: To determine the frequency of urinary tract infection in neonates presenting with late neonatal sepsis at a tertiary care hospital. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Duration and Place of Study: The study was carried out from January 2025 to May 2025 in the Department of Pediatrics, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Methodology: Eighty-one neonates aged between eight and twenty-eight days who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for late neonatal sepsis were included. Patients with congenital abnormalities of the urinary system, neural tube defects, or congenital heart disease were excluded. Detailed demographic information was recorded, followed by clinical evaluation and relevant laboratory investigations. Urinary tract infection was diagnosed when urine examination revealed ten or more white blood cells per milliliter or five or more white blood cells per high power field along with a positive nitrite test. Results: The mean age of neonates was 17.2 ± 6.1 days, with a predominance of males. Urinary tract infection was observed in 14.8 percent of cases, more commonly in male neonates and in those younger than fifteen days, although no demographic factor showed a significant association. Conclusion: Infection of the urinary tract represents an important contributor to late neonatal sepsis, present in approximately one out of seven affected neonates.