Word parts
What it means
Normally a one-way valve stops urine from going back up the ureters. In vesicoureteral reflux this valve does not work well, most often from birth. Children with it get more kidney infections, which can scar the kidneys. It is diagnosed with a special X-ray taken while the child passes urine, and graded by how far the urine flows back. Mild cases often go away as the child grows; others need antibiotics or surgery.
For the nurse
Teach parents the signs of a urinary infection in a child, such as fever without another cause, poor feeding, foul urine and pain on passing urine, and to give preventive antibiotics as ordered.
At a glance
| Abbreviations | VUR |
|---|---|
| Also written | VUR |
Related terms
urinary tract infection
An infection anywhere in the urinary tract: the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.
ureter
One of the two tubes that carry urine from the kidneys down to the bladder.