Abstract
Objective:  To test the hypothesis that urinary tract infections (UTI) in young infants are rarely associated with meningitis.Methods:  We undertook a review of the laboratory results from 322 infants, 90 days of age or younger, with an admission or discharge diagnosis of UTI or meningitis. The study was conducted in a tertiary paediatric hospital. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of coexisting urinary tract and cerebrospinal fluid sepsis.Results:  In total, 161 of the 322 (50%) infants with an admission or discharge diagnosis of UTI or meningitis were subsequently shown to have a culture‐proven UTI. Of the children with a culture‐proven UTI, 75 (47%) had cerebrospinal fluid obtained. We detected one case of probable bacterial meningitis in association with UTI.Conclusion:  UTI is rarely associated with meningitis in infants 90 days of age or younger.