Prescribing ‘just in case’ antibiotics to children to prevent a second urinary tract infection is one of five new ‘do not do’ recommendations released under the Choosing Wisely campaign. 

Most UTIs in children can be managed conservatively, and the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics following a first infection is not recommended, says the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN).

Renal specialist and society president Professor Neil Boudville said it was “understandable” doctors and parents would want to prevent a second UTI in a child, but research didn’t back up the practice. 

“The evidence shows that, once the first infection has resolved, giving further antibiotics to your child ‘just in case’ they get another UTI is actually likely to do more harm than good,” Dr Boudville said in a statement.