Leukocyte esterase in the urine of a child


Urine examination is one of the most informative methods for diagnosing diseases of the urinary system. Chemical analysis allows you to determine the level of protein, sugar and acetone. And if we talk about the general study, then it accurately talks about the level of red blood cells and white blood cells. Microscopic examination also helps to identify urates, forsphates, oxalates, uric acid crystals, etc.

There are also more modern methods, which involve the use of test strips impregnated with a special chemical. Often, by the way, using this technique, elevated leukocyte esterase in the urine is diagnosed.

In general, white blood cells are an important component of our body's defense system. A feature of these cells is the ability to penetrate through the circulatory system into organs and tissues, and then absorb pathogens. Interestingly, when neutrophils destroy pathogenic microflora, they themselves die and, once in the urine, are excreted from the body. That is why, if an increased level of neutrophils was detected in the microscopic sediment, then this is a sure sign that the body is fighting some kind of infectious process.

Traces of leukocyte esterase may be normal

What do leukocytes in urine mean?

Unlike red blood cells, leukocytes with a heterogeneous structure do not have color; they are called “white blood cells”. A group of human cells performs a protective function and provides strong immunity.

Normally, there are leukocytes in the urine, but the level is negligible. A sharp increase in the number of white blood cells most often indicates a reaction of the immune system to a certain irritant.

After the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms, leukocytes are activated and protect the body from the invasion of harmful microbes. The result is the detection of excess white blood cells in the urine.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent situations where there is an increased level of leukocytes in the urine of a child under 1 year old, you should first of all carefully and carefully care for the baby. Regularly bathe and wash the baby. You should also minimize the likelihood of illness by hardening and maintaining good hygiene. It is worth paying due attention to his well-being.

Leukocytes - white blood cells - are the body's protective cells. Consequently, being detected in urine analysis in increased quantities, they indicate the onset of an inflammatory process in the area near the urinary tract.

To find the reasons for this result, the doctor may schedule a consultation with a specialized specialist: a urologist or nephrologist. Possible causes of increased leukocytes in a child’s urine may be physical stress or insufficient hygiene before taking tests. However, such symptoms cannot be ignored, because Chronic kidney and urinary tract diseases are fraught with unpleasant consequences.

First of all, you should indicate which value is normal.

Table “Normal leukocytes in a child’s urine”

According to modern criteria, when studied using the Nechiporenko method, the norm is less than 4,000, although many sources still give a more strict figure: 2,000 per milliliter.

In the same way, some sources give more strict figures for determining the number of bodies in the field of view (f/o) - up to 3-5 in boys and up to 6 in girls. In most cases, tests of healthy children show a result of about 2-3 leukocytes per cell.

Determining the norm is especially important when diagnosing disorders in children, because physiologically, the content of white bodies in a child’s urine is slightly higher than that of an adult.

The normal indicator for infants varies according to sources, but it is worth noting that doctors pay close attention to any excess of the threshold of 3 leukocyte units in the field of view.

Results table

Pay attention to the indicators in the absence of negative reactions of the body and the response of the immune system to the stimulus. The meanings for girls and boys are different: pay attention to this nuance.

Table of leukocyte levels in urine in children

NormDeviation
Boys2More than 5–7 cells in the field of view
Girls3More than 8–10 cells per field of view

Doctors' recommendations:

  • Pediatricians advise children to undergo urine tests periodically. Parents of infants and older children should take regular monitoring of urine quality seriously;
  • Some diseases at the initial stage have blurred, mild symptoms, there is no severe pain;
  • Often the main sign of pathology is urination problems. There are no other noticeable symptoms, but the inflammatory process has already started;
  • This is why a urine test helps detect infection or inflammation at an early stage: high levels of white blood cells will immediately indicate problems in the body.

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Treatment

An increased content of leukocyte cells in the urine is not a disease, but only a symptom. Therefore, when it occurs, you should look for the cause and treat it. But it is worth remembering that sometimes deviations from the norm of leukocytes in a child’s urine occur both due to the baby’s teething and diaper rash. Then he does not need treatment.

If the presence of high levels of leukocytes in the blood is due to a bacterial infection, the pediatrician prescribes antibacterial drugs. Together with them, it is advisable to use probiotics to maintain the normal microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of a one-year-old child. Preparations based on herbs and plants are often prescribed as an addition to the main treatment. One of these medications is Canephron. This preparation contains centaury herb, lovage root and rosemary leaves. Canephron relieves inflammation well and improves the child’s well-being.

For inflammatory processes of the external genital organs, anti-inflammatory ointments and herbal baths are used.

Signs of increased leukocytes in the urine of an infant

Pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • The baby urinates less often or too often. When urinating, there is pain in the bladder area, a burning sensation, a stinging sensation;
  • the liquid becomes cloudy, darkens, sediment often appears in the form of flakes, foam appears on the surface (if the baby uses the potty);
  • in the acute form of the disease, the child shudders, the temperature reaches +38–39 degrees, sharp abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting appear;
  • sometimes negative processes occur almost asymptomatically.

Symptoms

Sometimes you can detect leukocytes in a baby’s urine with the naked eye. In this case, the color of the urine darkens, it becomes cloudy, and precipitation in the form of flakes is possible.

Also, based on some changes in the child’s behavior and well-being, we can assume the presence of leukocytes in the urine. In this case, the baby is restless, urinary retention, crying when emptying the bladder, and the child begins to urinate more often.

If leukocytes in the urine of a newborn increase due to inflammatory processes, then characteristic symptoms are observed. Body temperature may rise, drowsiness, chills, loss of appetite, and respiratory rate may increase.

When inflammation is localized in the urinary tract, the following symptoms are observed:

  • pain when urinating,
  • cloudy urine
  • change in urine color
  • swelling of the limbs,
  • pungent smell of urine
  • dryness and pallor of the skin,
  • red blood cells may appear in the urine.

Also, deviations from the norm of leukocytes in the urine of children can occur if urine is collected incorrectly for analysis, which should not be forgotten. Therefore, the doctor prescribes a repeat urine test.

How to properly collect urine for analysis

Follow the recommendations and the research results will be reliable:

  • for general analysis you need morning urine produced immediately after waking up;
  • prepare a sterile jar, special container or plastic container;
  • A useful device – a urine collector – will help collect the required amount of fluid from infants. The thick plastic bag has a teardrop-shaped hole. Wash the baby, dry the perineum or penis well, secure the bag so that the urine immediately gets into it. Perform the operation in the morning, immediately after waking up;
  • For older children, be sure to wash the genitals with baby soap, thoroughly remove any remaining soap suds, then give them a jar or container for the material;
  • After collecting the liquid for analysis, take it for research. If it is not possible to immediately transfer the container to the laboratory, store the container in the refrigerator. The laboratory assistant will advise you on storage times and rules.

If the test results show more leukocytes than normal, the doctor will prescribe additional tests, and urine culture is often performed. A special test shows the type of infectious agent that attacked the child’s body. Bacterial culture is required to determine the antibiotics that most actively suppress the activity of the identified pathogen.

Useful tips for parents

Parents should know what to do before collecting urine for testing in children. Violation of requirements also provokes incorrect indicators.

What to do:

  • consult a doctor, find out the rules for collecting urine, the timing of delivery of the material to the laboratory;
  • if the baby is taking medications, be sure to notify the attending physician and laboratory assistant;
  • Antibacterial therapy should be completed 2 weeks before the control study;
  • shortly before collecting the material, you cannot perform physical procedures, ultrasound, or x-rays of various parts of the body;
  • If there are dietary restrictions, adhere to them, otherwise the results will be incorrect or incomplete.

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What to do if leukocytes are elevated

After taking the tests, be sure to show the results to your pediatrician. If necessary, the doctor will refer you for consultation to a nephrologist, allergist or endocrinologist.

Treatment of diseases in infants and older children is carried out according to an individual scheme. Parents should not buy drugs that a neighbor’s child used to get rid of a similar pathology.

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Recommendations

The first thing to rule out is the influence of food. You should not give your child sweets with harmful artificial additives. But eating fruits and vegetables should also be in moderation - excess can cause not only a change in the color of urine, but also allergies.

In addition, you need to pay attention to correcting your drinking regime. The child must consume a sufficient amount of fluid, which depends on age and physiological parameters. Children need to be given clean water and healthy fruit drinks.

If the influence of these factors is excluded, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a specialist can determine the specific reason why the urine has changed its color. And only after a full examination, the doctor will prescribe treatment to correct the situation. Not all provocateurs of such a seemingly insignificant symptom are harmless. Early detection of a serious disease is a significant factor in the effectiveness of therapy.

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Many parents are afraid of missing the onset of a serious illness in their child, so they carefully monitor his condition. Possible problems can be indicated by changes in activity during the day, appetite, stool, and urine color. Deviations do not always mean the onset of a disease. Perhaps the child was overtired, ate the wrong food, or the medication caused an unusual side effect. Of course, there is no point in letting the situation take its course. You need to continue to monitor changes and if you have alarming symptoms, go to the hospital.

Norm of leukocytes in urine in children

The norm of leukocytes in a child’s urine depends on age. In babies, the kidney glomeruli are not yet fully formed, and when filtered, more white blood cells enter the urine. With age, the filtration system matures, and the number of leukocytes in the urine decreases.

Affects leukocyte count and gender. Girls have a shorter urethra and the vagina is located close to the urethra. This leads to the fact that leukocytes from the vaginal secretion can enter the urethra.

The table shows children's norms taking into account gender and age.

Leukocytes in the field of view (in girls)

Leukocytes in the field of view (in boys)

From birth to 6 months.

From 7 months up to a year

The upper limit for all ages, regardless of gender, is considered to be single leukocytes up to 10 per field of view. Borderline indicators require a repeat urine test.


The reason for the increase may be the onset of a disease, improper collection of material, or the influence of external factors.

Peculiarities of children's research

Leukocyte esterase in the urine of a child is detected for the same reasons as in adults, namely: cystitis, urethritis or pyelonephritis. False results are also associated with lack of proper intimate hygiene and the use of certain medications. An association has also been seen between the presence of an allergic reaction and a false increase in neutrophil enzyme levels.

If a child has traces of this enzyme in his urine, and a microscopic examination shows that white cells are normal, then there is no reason to panic or worry. If microscopy of the sediment shows leukocytosis, then even the detection of traces of esterase should alert you. A slight increase in the norm may occur during teething, as well as after an illness. In general, children are prone to developing disorders of the urinary system and some of them can be practically asymptomatic; sometimes diagnostic results are the only chance for timely identification of the problem.

How to prepare and properly collect urine for analysis

One of the common causes of false leukocyturia is incorrect collection of urine for analysis. How to properly collect urine depends on the age of the child.

Older children who are able to control the process of urination follow the following rules when collecting material:

  • Toilet the genitals with warm water. It is not advisable to use soap and other hygiene products - soap suds may remain in the folds of the skin, and this will distort the diagnosis.
  • The child flushes the first portion into a potty or toilet, and then pees into a sterile container. Before urinating, the boy needs to move the foreskin from the head of the penis, and the girl needs to spread the labia with her fingers. This will prevent the accidental release of leukocytes from the external genital organs into the urine.

After collection, the container is capped and delivered to the laboratory.

To avoid changes in the color indicator of urine, a day before the test, you need to remove coloring foods (citrus fruits, beets, carrots) from the child’s diet.

Often, parents are lost and do not know how to collect a urine test from babies who are not yet able to control the urge to urinate. There are 2 ways:

  • Guard. Small children pee almost immediately after sleeping or after drinking. You need to keep an eye on the baby and place the jar under the stream in time. Boys manage to collect urine almost without problems, but girls do not always succeed.
  • Soft urinal. The pharmacy sells polyethylene sterile urine bags for babies. The device is attached to the child's perineum with a hypoallergenic patch without causing discomfort. After the bladder has been emptied, the urine is poured into a sterile container.


You cannot squeeze urine out of a diaper or diaper or pour it from a potty for research. The diaper may retain white blood cells, but the fabric and surface of the potty are not sterile. Submitting incorrectly collected material will distort the result.

What should parents do?

If parents notice that the color of the urine has darkened or turned bright yellow, you must:

  • increase the amount of fluid consumed;
  • exclude foods with dyes, fatty, salty foods from the diet;
  • replace medications (after consultation with a pediatrician);
  • Do not take antibiotics while breastfeeding.

If these methods do not lead to normalization of color or symptoms of other diseases appear, you should seek help from a doctor. Self-medication can greatly harm the child’s health and worsen the situation. Before going to the clinic, you need to collect urine in a sterile jar. Urine collection rules:

  • the average portion is collected;
  • Before urinating, the child should be washed with warm water;
  • Urine from an infant can be collected using a urinal (more details in the article: how to collect urine from a baby girl using a urinal?).

In order to detect the disease in a timely manner, it is necessary to take a urine test for preventive purposes. The procedure is recommended to be carried out every six months.

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Why are high rates possible?

Leukocytes are the protectors of the body, so the number of cells increases with illness or the influence of other unfavorable factors. What do leukocytes in a child’s urine mean is determined by a pediatrician or other pediatric specialist taking into account the nature of leukocyturia and additional symptoms.

Inflammation in the genitourinary system

When the number of leukocytes in the urine is 30-40 or more, then first of all the child is suspected of having genitourinary diseases. Common causes of leukocyturia:

  • Glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis. Inflammation of the kidney tissue leads to a large accumulation of leukocytes, which, together with pathogenic microorganisms, are excreted in the urine. Additionally, weakness, fever, and lower back pain appear. Urinary excretion may be impaired.
  • Cystitis. A bladder infection, in addition to an increase in leukocyte cells in urine, is accompanied by pain when urinating and a frequent urge to urinate.
  • Balanoposthitis. The boy's head of the penis and foreskin become inflamed. Pain and itching appear, the inflamed parts of the penis become hyperemic and enlarged in size.
  • Vulvitis. Inflammation of the vulva in a girl is accompanied by itchy discomfort and pain when walking. The process can spread to the labia.


With vulvitis or balanoposthitis, leukocytes enter the urine when collecting biomaterial.

Other diseases

Elevated leukocytes in a child’s urine can be due to various somatic diseases:

  • ARVI;
  • metabolic disorders;
  • endocrine diseases;
  • appendicitis;
  • intestinal infections;
  • autoimmune processes (rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus);
  • sepsis.

Unlike inflammation of the genitourinary tract, in diseases of other organs leukocyturia is not very pronounced (15-20 per field of view). A large number of leukocyte cells in urine occurs only with sepsis.

Incorrect material collection

When there are no signs of deterioration in health, and the child has increased leukocytes in the urine, then the reason for the result obtained may be errors in collecting biological fluid:

Causes of increased leukocyte esterase

The main diseases that lead to exceeding the norm of this indicator are the following pathological processes:

  • cystitis. Due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, the disease appears more often in women than in men. After a bacterial infection has entered the bladder, unpleasant symptoms appear, among which are the following: frequent and painful urination, pain in the lower abdomen, the appearance of blood in the urine;
  • pyelonephritis. As a rule, this disease is a complication of cystitis. This can occur in the absence of proper treatment, causing the infection to rise up and penetrate the kidneys. Clinical symptoms in this case will be more serious: lower back pain, increased body temperature, nausea and even vomiting;
  • urethritis. Unlike cystitis, this pathological process most often occurs in the stronger half of the population. The inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the urethra leads to tearing pain when urinating;
  • Gematria. Simply put, this is the appearance of red blood cells in the urine. This condition can occur as a result of the following reasons: kidney or gallstones, mechanical injuries, inflammation of the bladder;
  • changes in hormonal levels;
  • pregnancy period. How is pregnancy related to an increase in leukocyte levels? During this period, muscle tone weakens and bladder volume increases. What does this lead to? Problems arise with completely emptying the bladder, as a result of which some urine remains in the bladder - and this is a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms.


A urine test will help to detect the problem in time and eliminate it.

What to do if your leukocyte count is high

Leukocyturia requires treatment. To determine the cause and select the necessary therapy, the doctor prescribes additional diagnostics:

  • Ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder;
  • urine examination according to Nechiporenko, according to Zimnitsky;
  • UAC;
  • contrast radiography;
  • bacterial sowing;
  • cystoscopy;
  • CT or MRI.

If there are no abnormalities in the urinary system, then the child is referred for consultation to an endocrinologist, infectious disease specialist, allergist or other specialists. A comprehensive examination will reveal the cause of the increase in leukocyte cells in the urine and select the necessary treatment.

Leukocyturia in a child with diseases of the genitourinary system

There are various reasons for an increase in the level of leukocytes in the urine of a child. The main one is infectious diseases of the genitourinary system. Such diseases are a common cause of an increase in the number of white blood cells in the urine. Diseases, in most cases, are accompanied by a number of severe symptoms.

Signs of a UTI:

  • General malaise
  • Temperature increase
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Weakness
  • Increased urination
  • Pain and burning in the genital area
  • Urinary incontinence

In addition, with diseases of the urinary tract, a child may experience severe abdominal pain, which has a pulling character. In case of kidney inflammation, the pain is localized in the lower back and is often one-sided.

Confirmation of the diagnosis is based on the results of a blood test. The results of the procedure indicate an increased concentration of leukocytes in the blood. For additional diagnostics, ultrasound examination, ditoscopy are also used, and microflora cultures are carried out.

To treat UTIs in children, drugs are used - antibiotics, antiseptic urogenital agents, drugs that improve kidney function. Symptomatic therapy is also provided, in which painkillers and antipyretics are used.

Pathologies of the urinary system can be either acquired or congenital. Diseases accompanied by inflammation of the urinary tract occur against the background of congenital anomalies, which significantly increase the sensitivity of organs to various types of infection.

Main types of congenital pathologies:

  • Absence of one kidney due to intrauterine malformation
  • Ureteral rupture caused by mechanical trauma
  • Expansion of the structural elements of the kidney
  • Reflux of the bladder or ureter
  • Congenital disorders of the blood vessels of the genitourinary system

In the presence of developmental anomalies, treatment is carried out through drug therapy aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the disease. In the future, surgery may be performed to eliminate the defect.

In general, the most common cause of increased levels of white blood cells in the urine in children is an infectious disease of the urinary system.

Are low values ​​dangerous?

The absence of leukocyte cells in urine is not a sign of disease. This only indicates that a very small number of leukocytes are excreted in the urine, and they cannot be detected in the field of view. A zero indicator is considered normal in a child at any age, even in infants.

An increase in the level of leukocytes is evidence of an inflammatory process in the body. Sometimes the cause of overestimated indicators is improper preparation for testing, but in most cases, leukocytosis and leukocyturia indicate pathological processes.

What to do if leukocytes are elevated in a child’s urine? The causes and treatment of diseases of which this factor is a symptom are described in the article. Doctors give useful advice to parents: how to recognize inflammation in the urinary tract in time, how to prevent relapses after treatment of acute forms of pyelonephritis, cystitis, damage to the ureters, and genital infections.

Preparing for a urine test for leukocytes in a child

In order for the test results to give the most accurate results, it is important to properly prepare the baby for the procedure, following all the doctor’s recommendations and instructions. To ensure that the urine does not have unnecessary uncharacteristic inclusions and does not have a suspicious color, 2-3 days before the test you need to adhere to a diet that excludes foods that affect the color of urine, as well as dishes that provoke an increase in certain indicators in the urine.

In an infant, urine can be collected in a sterile container using a urinal; in older children, urine is collected, as in adults. In order for a urine test to show correct results, you need to collect morning urine, take the middle portion, and pour the first drops into the toilet. Urine must be collected in a sterile container, which you can prepare yourself or buy at a pharmacy. If you do not adhere to the rules for collecting urine and do not carry out hygienic procedures for the child, then the leukocyte level may be 50-60 units.

general information

Cells of heterogeneous structure lack pigment: for this reason they are called white. Leukocytes penetrate to the source of infection, find dangerous pathogens, and destroy microbes and viruses.

White blood cells suppress not only external but also internal infection. With the active proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, leukocytes increase and actively fight infectious agents.

The more leukocytes in the urine or blood, the easier it is to determine the degree of protection of the body. During the inflammatory process, the level of white blood cells in urine is increased. If protein is also detected in the urine, then with a high degree of probability it can be assumed that the child has pyelonephritis, urethritis, pyelitis, cystitis, and other inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and genital organs.

Causes of elevated white blood cells

The level and type of white bodies in the urine depends on the type of pathology:

  • pyelonephritis. Many mononuclear leukocytes appear in urine, and an active inflammatory process develops;
  • glomerulonephritis. The number of leukocytes is lower than with pyelonephritis. The reason is the allergic genesis of glomerulonephritis, the connection of the pathology with the immune system. In urine, the level of leukocytes-eosinophils increases, which indicates the development of allergic inflammation.

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High levels of white blood cells are one of the signs of other inflammatory diseases:

  • cystitis. Pathogenic bacteria and E. coli provoke inflammation in the tissues of the bladder. Due to the short urethra, close proximity of the anus and external genitalia, the disease is more often diagnosed in girls. Cystitis often develops against the background of stagnation of urine;
  • urolithiasis disease. Poor quality water leads to the deposition of salts in the urinary tract even in young children. Large kidney stones often block the ureter, impairing the outflow of urine. Bacteria develop in stagnant liquid;
  • allergic diseases. In case of immunological failures, allergic inflammation develops, the number of eosinophils increases;
  • inflammatory process in the delicate mucous membrane of the genital organs. The causes of inflammation are poor genital care and infrequent diaper changes for infants. Penetration of pathogenic microflora into the mucous membrane, activation of lymphocytes, and the appearance of white bodies along with mucus in urine analysis were noted. In the absence of negative processes in the genitourinary system, the excreted fluid in the child is transparent, light yellow, blood, suspension in the bladder, and various inclusions are absent. The appearance of specific impurities should prompt parents to have their child examined by a pediatric urologist and gynecologist.

False results and their reasons

As practice shows, a positive result of this study is not always a sure sign of an infectious-inflammatory process in the organs of the urinary system. If vaginal contents enter the urine, the level of white blood cells will increase. Interestingly, some antibacterial agents can increase esterase levels.

Also, increased esterase may be observed in concentrated urine, and this can also occur when the content of protein, sugar and urobilinogen is high. I would also like to note the fact that one hundred white blood cells are unstable and outside the body they begin to quickly collapse. Therefore, the collected urine must be quickly delivered to a specialized facility. According to experts, in two hours the concentration of neutrophils can decrease by half, so the study will be inaccurate.


Failure to comply with hygiene rules before taking the test can give false results and be misleading

In what cases is analysis prescribed?

The doctor recommends taking a urine sample if you suspect the development of inflammatory diseases in the bladder, genitals, kidneys, or ureter. The appearance of signs of pyelonephritis, urethritis, cystitis, glomerulonephritis is a reason to collect urine.

Indications:

  • pain in the bladder, lower abdomen, lumbar region;
  • cloudiness of urine, appearance of mucus, blood, protein “flakes”, sand, purulent masses in urine;
  • deterioration of health, pain, increased temperature in combination with a change in the appearance of urine;
  • problems with urination, pain during the process or immediately after removing fluid;
  • chills, fever combined with weakness, lethargy, swelling on the body, legs, and around the eyes. In children, swelling most often appears on the lower eyelids;
  • In infants, not only does the appearance of urine change, but anxiety also appears, the baby is capricious, refuses to breastfeed, and cries. Often the baby's temperature is elevated and pus and mucus are released from the urethra.

The pediatric urologist prescribes a test to confirm the diagnosis:

There are no contraindications to donating urine to determine the level of leukocytes. Urine to identify a possible inflammatory organism is easy to collect even from infants. It is important to remember the rules for preparing for analysis in order to prevent false positive or false negative results. With ARVI, an increase in indicators is also possible.

How to prepare: useful tips

Recommendations for parents:

  • during the day before the test, reduce the child’s amount of protein foods and foods with ascorbic acid;
  • You should not bathe children in hot water, or allow preschoolers and schoolchildren to train intensively;
  • urine is collected in the morning, the best option is from 7 to 10 o’clock. At the pharmacy you need to purchase a sterile container with a tight lid to store the collected material;
  • the first stage is washing the genitals with soap and thorough treatment with clean water. It is important to blot the areas with a clean napkin;
  • the second stage is urine collection. Open the container, for general analysis, release part of the urine (a little) into the toilet, then collect the required volume of urine (from 50 ml), immediately close the container with a lid. If a small patient donates excreted fluid according to Kakovsky-Addis or urine according to Nechiporenko, then at the appointment the doctor will tell you how to collect urine for bacterial culture;
  • deliver the material to the laboratory no later than two hours after filling the sterile container. Do not freeze the liquid or store it in too hot a room.

What it shows: results

The level of leukocytes is a marker of the development of the inflammatory process. In the absence of an infectious lesion of the bladder, urinary tract, or kidneys, clear blood cells in the urine are not detected or the number in the field of view during laboratory tests is minimal (not higher than acceptable standards).

An increased level of white blood cells indicates the penetration of viruses and dangerous bacteria. The second option is increased proliferation of opportunistic microflora, for example, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli.

Deviations in the white blood cell count can be detected even in a routine general urine test. To confirm the indicators, the urologist recommends taking urine again in a couple of days. If the values ​​coincide, then you need to urgently look for the cause of the deviations, do an ultrasound of the kidneys, cystoscopy of the bladder, and take a urine culture to identify the type of infectious agent. If you suspect the development of an immunoallergic pathology, it is important to find out the level of inflammatory mediators (donate blood).

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Leukocyte esterase during pregnancy

It is interesting that our body is designed in a special way and after conception, protective mechanisms are activated to maintain pregnancy, so leukocytes rush to the uterus, “standing guard over order.” The level of leukocytes in the urine may also increase. If the presence of bacteria has not been detected by other methods, then in principle there should be no cause for concern.


Stagnation of urine during pregnancy can provoke the development of bacteriuria and pyuria

Norm and optimal indicators

The optimal indicators of the norm of leukocytes in children in the urine depend on gender:

  • for girls – no more than 8–10 units in the field of view;
  • in boys – up to 5–7 leukocytes.

The ideal option is the absence of white blood cells in the urine. The fewer leukocytes in the urine, the better.

A pediatric urologist or nephrologist deciphers the urine analysis. The specialist compares the little patient’s indicators with the norm, identifies deviations, and pays attention to other points of the study, for example, whether there is protein in the urine.

Detection of elevated leukocytes in a child

Several research methods are used to detect elevated levels of white blood cells in the urine. One of them is microscopy. The number of leukocytes in the urine is visible in the field of view; the laboratory assistant counts them, if possible. If they cover the entire field of vision, then we can immediately say that an inflammatory process is occurring in the body. If their number does not exceed the permissible norm (for girls 7, 8; for boys - 4, 5 cells per cell) then there is no need to worry. There is another method of counting - counting using special devices. This method is more accurate; the number of white blood cells per 1 μl is calculated. And even if leukocytes cover the entire field of view, the device will accurately count their number.

How to lower your white blood cell count

After diagnosis and culture, doctors understand which infectious agent has entered the urinary tract or genitals. A test for the sensitivity of microorganisms to the action of antibiotics is required to select the most “strong” drug that has a detrimental effect on this particular type of pathogenic flora.

Antibiotics are prescribed to children based on age. It is important to choose a drug that retains its properties and initial activity until it is removed from the body. For the treatment of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, kidneys, urethra, bladder, aminopenicillins, Flemoklav Solutab, and other names are prescribed on the recommendation of a doctor. If the inflammation is immunoallergic in nature, then you will need the help of not only a pediatric urologist, but also an allergist to select the optimal type of antihistamines.

To improve the outflow of urine, eliminate congestion, normalize blood circulation in the kidney tissue, and reduce irritation of the bladder mucosa, herbal uroseptic preparations are effective. Several formulations are suitable for children: Canephron tablets (from 6 years old), Urolesan (syrup), kidney tea (from 12 years old). Chamomile tea, a decoction of lingonberry leaves, and cranberry juice are useful.

In addition to taking medications and herbal teas, it is important to eat properly to prevent irritation of delicate tissues. In the acute form of the inflammatory process, doctors prescribe bed rest for the small patient. In severe cases of pathology, the child is placed in a urological hospital for constant medical supervision until the pronounced symptoms disappear.

All parents encounter a urine test sooner or later. And here two main problems arise: how to collect urine correctly and how to understand what is written in the test results. Dr. Komarovsky will tell you more about deciphering the results and about leukocytes in the urine in the following video:

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