Urinary tract infection + MCU

Hello mummies,

My 21 month old girl also has kidney reflux grade 3 for one kidney.
Did DMSA and MCU already, on low dose anti-biotics...
She just did DMSA 2 months ago, think it was via an injection...and the sedation is via oral syrup...after the test, had to shake her quite a bit to wake up...was very funny...
Impt to do both the MCU and DMSA test for the doctor to determine the extent of the condition...KKH Drs quite experienced in treating such conditions, so no worries for me...
 


Hi, i'm new in this thread.
My daughter when she was abt 9mths old got this UTI, now she's 21 mths old. Next wk she be goin for her DMSA.
She has aready stop taking antibiotics, and so far no reflex and urine test was clear and MCU's result OK. Dnt understand why still to go for DMSA.
she's seeing doc @ KKH also

dylanmummy,
Can share the process of DMSA.

Thks!
 
HI feiming / channel...
ehhh i forget leh... that was 1yr ago... i only remember, they will ask me to make my son sleep, if not, they will put sedation, for his last 2 DMSA, he manage to sleep himself.
after that, they will bring us to a room, where i will place my son on a bed, and they will put a strap over him, and they will move a scanning machine down from the top, to place directly above him. then when the scanning take place, the scanning machine will move from right to left, whole process take about 30min....
 
Hi dylanmummy,

Thks for sharing..I hope that day i can make her sleep also if not will have to watch her crying for the whole process jus like when she doin MCU.
 
fei ming, if reflux is very mild, i also dun understand why the need to go for DMSA, u may wanna get 2nd opinion or ask your doctor again.

channel, i just brought my son for DMSA last month. he has grade 4 reflux on 1 side (the other side is ok). Dr advised to do DMSA to see if any kidney scarring and whether to go for surgery. result is that his kidneys are 40 - 60% functional. not too bad so Dr says no need for surgery.

DMSA proc is like what karen described. for us, son is only 7 months so he cried a lot... for some reason, the nurse advised to try x ray without the sedation. v exp - costs over $500 at Gleneagles...

i think u could try and time her feeding schedule such tat she sleeps just b4 the x ray, else sedation will also be good. it's just that they sleep a lot after tat and difficult to wake up. but no side effects, i tink.
 
hello mission/channel/dylanmummy.....
i think i still will let my son do the DMSA,but definitely he need the sedation cos it very difficult to make him sleep and he is a light sleeper i dun wan to hear he screaming like that day he did the MCU.Two weeks after the MCU we went to see the doctor, when we reach at kkh my son start crying and refuse to go in to the clinic can't even take his weight.hope that he will forget on coming jan when doing the DMSA.
 
hi feiming,
i understand how u feel.
after my son's operation, for 1 full yr, whenever we step into the clinic for his followup, he will scream like hell.... especially the 1st 2 month, when we carry him into the clinic, once he saw the bed in the clinic, he struggle to go out, scream till all can hear him from outside...
sad.gif
 
Hi!

My girl will be goin for her DMSA this fri..im afraid i've problem to make her sleep cos i was told that 3hrs b4 the Xray no food no drink .NO MILk i realy dnt knw how to make her sleep.

Once we step in the clinic she starts to cry aready keep saying ' dnt want..dnt want. dnt want aready' keep pulling my hand out to leave the clinic door.

Hope this DMSA is the last .. no more checkup.
 
Hi!
Jus to update.
My girl she managed to sleep herself jus B4 the DMSA at 1.15pm. The process as wat dylanmummy had shared.

I find the most difficult and painfull part was to insert the plug.
The 1st attempt done by nurse was unsucessful, saw plaster at both hands. 2nd attempt done by doctor the plug was insert on her feet.

My poor girl was crying very bad, and she even scolded them 'naughty'.

Now wating for the result, seeing doctor again next week.
 
hi channel
what plug is it? how they insert? where they insert? can u tell me more detail cos my boy going to do DMSA on this coming Jan n im quite woory about it
 
hi feiming,
if i'm not wrong, the plug is where they put on your kid hand/feet for the sedation. incase some kids cant fall asleep on their own, they will need to inject the sedation.
 
hi feiming, just to share with you what our child went thru during the dmsa procedure recently. the plug was meant for the injection of the nuclear dye. for sedation purpose, oral medication was administered. the plug will be in place until the entire dmsa procedure is over. hope that clarify your doubt.
 
hi feiming, the plug is as what g2m6 has explained. for my case, the nurse removed the plug for my boy after the dye has been injected in.

dun worry so much - the doc and nurses will guide u thru! i went to Gleneagles for the DMSA and the nurse/radiologist were very friendly, nice folks.
 
thanks g2m6 and mission,
im quite worry because when my boy did the mcu, when the nurse insert the tube, he struggled and cry very badly till the nurse told me he is very strong and very difficult keep him still and he scream through out the hold procedure.
 
hi feiming, u r most welcome. we r all here trying to share and hopefully we will all gain from each others' experience... as the saying goes... a problem shared is a problem halfed... and if 2 persons were to exchange 1 ideas with each other they will both walk away with 2 ideas each at the end of the day. to be worried is natural. and anyone who has gone thru the mcu or witnessed their child having gone thru it will certainly be quite fearful of it. however we have to convince ourselves that we are doing it for the long term welfare of our precious child. i still recall recently when i contemplated briefly not letting my child go thru it thinkihg that perhaps the uti he got was just a one off incident (esp since his first attack was when he was already 15 mths). but i do not regret letting him go thru the ordeal now and in fact i was glad i let him go thru it. for wat we found out after the mcu was he got rather sever bilateral reflux. i dare not imagine wat harm i would hv caused my child if i were to adopt the "ostrich" and or "over-protective" attitude. i think mcu is the only precise method to check on the structure of the urinary tract and so it is a must if a child suffers from uti and dr or pd were to recommend it. it is no doubt painful and unpleasant but the pros surely outweigh the cons in this case. so if dr or pd were to recommend doing the mcu, pls do not be too engrossed by the fear of the pain and unpleasantness and resist it ignoring the fact that such an action could have an irreversible impact on the health of our child. It is best to go thru it (if dr or pd were to recommend it) and find out once and for all whether there is any reflux problem or not. All will be well and good if the mcu shows no problem and trust me the child will hv little recollection of what happened during the mcu when he grows up. But on the other hand if mcu shows some problems then appropriate actions can be taken and treatment administered promptly. dmsa on the other hand might seem to be less of an ordeal but the insertion of the plug can also be quite difficult, traumatic and painful. so its best to bring along a new toy or yr child's comfort pillow/blanket etc on that day of the procedure.
 
my husband still not sure whether want to let my son do the dmsa because the reflux is very mild and so far he got no urine infection except once.
during the mcu the urine test was clear and after he stop taking the antibiotic we do one more time urine test and the result is ok.so we are wondering if it the need for him to go dmsa?any advise?
 
hi feiming,
my advise is to go for it.
DMSA is to scan if the kidneys has been scarred by the previous UTI. and to shows the functionality of both kidney.

for my son, after his 1st UTI, he has no UTI till the time he do his DMSA. but, when he go for the DMSA, then we realised that his kidney has been badly scarred and the function is only 20% for 1 side, and %80 for the other.

we will not know what the previous UTI has caused to our kid, so it's the best to go for it.

and, right now, i don't think my son remember that he has go thru a major op, and those DMSA & MCU test.
 
Hi Feiming,

Both you and your husband are not doctors- why dun you let the doctors decide...
I agree with Karen- better do the test to make sure the kidney function is not affected- chances are his kidneys are fine if the reflux is mild...

My girl also has grade 3 reflux for one kidney, did both MCU and DMSA at KKH, good to know she is quite well- urine function not affected...
 
finally let my son go for dmsa,and got the result already. thanks god everything fine the kidney function no problem,the doctor said just do one more urine test two months later if the urine is clear than can totally discharge him.hooray no more nightmare!
 
hi fei ming,
glad to hear that... really thank god that everything is fine for your son...

i'm getting my son DMSA result tomolo... praying hard that there's no changes to the functionality of his kidneys...
sad.gif
 
hi dylanmummy,
hope ur son will be ok!is that no any medication or treatment for ur son to help him to recover or prevent?
for my boy after his 1st uti, i didnt use diaper,only at night,just get him urine about 20 to 30 mins,now he can tell when he wants to urine and poo,and make sure he drink lots of water.everything fine now.
 
hi feiming,
thanks.. the result is no good new or bad news...
the functionality still remains the same as he's previous DMSA. As his kidney has been badly scarred from the previous UTI, hence, there's nothing can be done already... only pray hard that the kidney don't shrink any further, functionality still remains... his doc says that, she glad that the other good kidney is growing well and bigger that normal... hence able to take the 80% load..

for ds, he's toilet trained, night time when he want to pee, he will go toilet himself. when he's in childcare, i've get the teachers to remind him to pee every 1~2hrs, so as not to let him hold his bladder too long.
 
Hi all

My nephew has UTI and went for test came out to be one side of the kidney has only 15% funtionality and the other side 50%. However the operation is only available by end of June in KK despite that the doctor say is better to operate within these 3 wks.

Need advise from mummies who been thru this: should we go for private or remain in kk? any good private PD to recomend specialist in this UTI to get a second opinion.

Thank You in advance
 
Hi SF,

U can go to NUH clinic A. Look for Prof Yap. She's very very good. She's a kidney expert. I initially saw KKH too but their waiting time is justtooo long. The longer I delay, the more deterimental the kidneys will be.

U can get referral from your PD to see Prof Yap.
 
Hi,
my bb gal (turning 10 mths) has UTI. Found out when she had high fever last week. GP put a stick into her urine sample and confirmed that. prescribed augmentin. her fever stopped after two days but today after doing the urine test for the 2nd time, GP said the germs are still not cleared. Advised us to take her to have ultrasound, etc at the hosp.

Just wondering what are the tests that they will carry out. Scheduled appt at KK in mid july. in the meantime, i have to carry on with the augmentin. any mummies can share some experience esp those with bb gals?
 
any kids here went for urodynamics?
my gal has bilateral grade 3 reflux. she has gone thru all watever scans that is needed. now doc has ask to do these urodynamic to determine whether she nid surgery or not. i am half hearted cos now shes oredi a 29mth toddler and im afraid it will be traumatising for her. she has the appt last mth but i didnt go. nurse called like 8 times then i finnally answered and said i cant make it. so next schedule is next mth. on one hand, i want to do the test asap, on the other hand, i pity her having to go thru this test. reading the pamplet makes me goosebumps.
 
Hi Hidayah,

I am sure you want the best for your kid...maybe you should ask your Dr in this way "if it is the Dr's kid, will the Dr put his kid through the test??"...if the Dr replies that it is absolutely necessary to determine if an operation is required, then i will give the go ahead. I am also in the medical field so I understand where Drs are coming from- especially in the public sector, Drs typically do not ask for unnecssary tests, just to get the parents to pay more...

My 3 YO daughter has right-side grade 3 reflux- went through MCU and DMSA when she was about 2 YO...now on prophylactic antibiotics...still on 6 monthly check-up at KKH to monitor her progress...
 
how many times did yr gal get uti and how long has been on the prophylatic dose? did u ask doc wen can stop taking the antibiotic?
 
dylanmummy, did yr kid went thru urodynamic b4 going for surgery? if yes, how long was the procedure and wats yr opininon abt it?
 
Hi Hidayah,

She had UTI once when she was 11 months old...since then, she was on prophylactic antibiotics...Dr say to continue till she is 3+YO, sometime next year...I am OK to keep her on it, since it helps reduce the risk of getting UTI...
 
hi fairy,

u r lucky that yr gal had UTI only once.. any preventive measures u take? shes 3yrs old now is it? btw being potty trained, do u tink it helps/?
 
No special measures, just make sure you keep the bottom very clean...yes, mine is potty trained now, only wear diapers for afternoon nap and night sleep...

I heard cranberry juice good for adults to prevent UTI, not sure if its useful for kids...

how many times your kid had UTI?
 
my gal had UTI more than five times oredi.. i cant count oredi..
btw, u use diaper for the afternoon nap, if she never urine in it, do u throw it away?
 
ya lah, of course throw away- can't be help- better spend the money on diapers than let her get UTI again...

If you worried about diaper cost, choose the cheaper ones- I use both Fitti Basic and NTUC Diapers for day and night respectively...
 
hi, not sure if this thread is still active.
my boy is currently 5 mths old. he had UTI when he was 4 mths old and has been scheduled for MCU in two weeks time.

wanna check if it is really necessary to do MCU? Is there any risk involve?

appreciate any advice cos am very confused.

thanks!
 
hi confused,

maybe you should really consider, just to set your heart at ease.
we choose not to do mcu when my ds had uti when he was around 3mths old. then he had another episode when he was aroung 5mth.
we just did the mcu today, and he has grade 2 reflux on his left side.

may i know from mummies whose child with reflux taking what antibotic?
 
Hi

My girl is coming to 6 months kanna UTI. In fact, she's still in KKH right now. The doctors there never mention any of the tests that I've been reading on this thread. They only say will scan her kidneys 4 weeks after discharge. Based on what I read in this thread, does this mean that they will only suggest further tests depending on the outcome of the kidney scan???

Btw, is UTI covered under H&S insurance? Worried that the insurers might say that it's congenital. Plus my gal has Thal magjor so she did her blood transfusion while being treated for UTI.

So sad seeing all the tubes in her. Lucky today she started smiling again after the fever has subside.
 
My daughter has been on antibotic since she was 3 mths old. She is coming 3 yrs old. Has infection recently n was hospitalised in NUH for almost 1 week.

Was advise by Prof Yap (NUH)to have ops. And we agreed tat it is best for her cos will not be good to be on long term medication.
 
hi all,

can someone advise me. my son had UTI on birth and was on anti-biotics for about 1mth. Afterwhich we went thru MCU. He cleared the test, no reflux, nothing. Is there still a need to go thru DMSA? He is now 1yr old.
 
Hi rianne,
My daughter had UTI + MCU too. The doctor in KKH said as long as cleared the test, no reflux, nothing, no need to go through DMSA. My girl is 20months, MCU was already a painful process for her, since everything okie, we stop the treatment here, accordingly to doctor.
 
xuan,

how many times has she had uti since the first one at 3mths? btw she has reflux grade wat, both sides or one side and does she has any scarring on her kidney?
 
Hi lala,

which doc did u see at KKH?

My 5mth old boy oso had UTI & admitted to KKH 2 wks ago, went back for the ultra sound y'day & everything was fine but Dr Anne Tan wans him to do MCU & DMSA.

was thinking it is necessary for a 5mth old to go thru these 2 tests? It really pains my heart when the thots of needles & tube being poke into his...
sad.gif
 
hi i tot DMSA and MCU are independent tests.
DMSA is to scan if the kidney was damage during the infection. so even if no reflex doesnt mean the infection will not scar the kidney
am i rite?
 
hidaya,

Th recent one is the third espisode. 1st one since 3mth, 2nd one is around 2 weeks after the 1st. Then was on antibotic all along till she was change to a lower dosage and lighter antibotic. She GOT IT again.
 
Yes she got scarring on 1 side of her kidney.
1 side is Grade 2, the other is Grade 4.

Was wondering hw come she got this reflux. Me n hubby dun have and no one in the family have this prob. Wondering izit something to do with my pregancy??? haiz...
 
Hi,

Haven't been to this thread for a while. My son has reflux on 1 side, grade 4 which was dianosged when he was 7 months. Now he's age 2, and taking trimethoprin daily (antibiotics prophalysis).

He hasn't had any UTI for more than 1 year+, then recently just gone another case again... It's his 4th case...

Does anyone know of cases whose reflux problem do resolve by itself w/o operation? I'm also worried how long my son needs to take the antibiotics...

littlefire : i aso tink if there's no reflux, means no need for DMSA as it means kidneys are not affected during UTI.

xuan : the reflux problem is congenital. dun tink it could hv occured due to any external things done during pregnancy.

sharon : my personal opinion is to go for MCU as a precaution. If no reflux then good. If yes, then measures can be taken earlier.
 


Sharon,
Like what Misson said, should go for MCU test. If no reflux, then no need to do DMSA.

Misson/mummies,
Did you ask doctor whether taking antibiotics daily will lower a kid's immunity ?
What actually causes the UTI? Is it constipation? My girl recently complains about pain again. We took sample of the urine to KK and is clear but am so worried. We all know the trauma the kid has to go through esp MCU and DMSA. How can we prevent UTI from recurring?
 

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