[Urinary tract infections in premature infants: considerations on the reliability of bladder catheterization and other methods of urine collection for bacteriological study].

: The collection of urine by the use of adhesive plastic bags even if simple is not unfailing procedure for making diagnosis of urinary tract infection (U.T.I.) because of contamination with bacteria located on the external genitals. This is particularly true in the case of the premature baby. Therefore this method of urine's collection has been considered not enough satisfactory in symptomless cases since an early diagnosis of U.T.I. in this premature babies is extremely important. The Authors suggest that after a first positive test response by urine's collection with adhesive plastic bags is extremely important to collect the urine with a catheter specimen in the females and with sterile test tube in the males. Using these criteria, satisfactory results have been obtained. To prevent possible bladder urine contamination by catheter use, antibiotic treatment had been applied for few days after specimen collection. The non catheter specimen collection of the urine remains of course, one of the most important test to detect pyuria during U.T.I.