Pediatricians' screening urinalysis practices.
OBJECTIVE
To determine pediatricians' routine screening urinalysis practices.


METHODS
This was a survey of a nationally representative sample of pediatricians practicing in the U.S. regarding their screening urinalysis practices in childhood.


RESULTS
Of the 1502 pediatricians sampled, 653 eligible subjects participated, for an estimated response rate of 49.5%. The vast majority of participants (78%) routinely screen asymptomatic children with urinalysis in at least 1 age group. Pediatricians' screening urinalysis practice varies based on age group: 9% screen during infancy (<1 year), 60% screen during early childhood (1 up to 5 years), 55% screen during late childhood (5 to 12 years), and 58% screen during adolescence (13 to 20 years). The majority of pediatricians (58%) routinely screen more than 1 age group. Some 38% of the pediatricians surveyed believe that the overall health of children is improved by screening all asymptomatic children with urinalysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Many pediatricians routinely conduct screening urinalysis during childhood, frequently at ages not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Sox
Colin M
CM
Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Center for Child Health Care Studies, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. colin_sox@harvardpilgrim.org
Christakis
Dimitri A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*