Since April 2015, the French Society of Pediatrics has encouraged suprapubic aspiration (SA) and urethral catheterization (UC) for urine collection in non-toilet-trained children suspected of having urinary tract infections (UTIs) and has tried to reduce the use of urine bag (UB).

To analyze the medical practices concerning urine collection methods used for non-toilet-trained children in pediatric emergency departments in France.

We conducted a descriptive medical practice study in October 2017. All members of the French Society of Pediatric Nephrology received two questionnaires about urine collection methods used for non-toilet-trained children, distinguishing between male and female patients, and about the corresponding analgesic protocols used in their pediatric emergency departments.

In total, 26 centers completed questionnaires concerning female patients. UC was performed in cases of fever associated with urinary tract malformations in 14 of 26 centers (54%). UB was used in cases of fever of unknown origin lasting for more than 48h in 17 of 26 centers (65%), in cases of fever associated with UTI symptoms in 14 of 26 centers (54%), and in cases of fever in infants under 3 months of age in 16 of 26 centers (61%). The questionnaires concerning male patients were completed by 30 centers. UB was the initially used urine collection method in all situations with, respectively, 22 of 30 (73%), 27 of 30 (90%), 23 of 30 (77%), and 22 of 30 (73%) centers. The analgesic protocol for urine collection is not well established in France.

UC for urine collection in pediatric emergency departments in France is underused despite the national recommendations and the greater diagnostic power of this method compared with UB.