Risk factors for new renal scarring in children with vesicoureteral reflux receiving continuous antibiotic prophylaxis

To investigate the risk factors for new renal scarring (NRS) in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) receiving continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (CAP). This was a single-center cohort study. The clinical data of 140 children with grade I–V VUR receiving CAP were analyzed. In this study, exposure variables were sex, younger age at the initial diagnosis of UTI ≤ 12 months, the occurrence of breakthrough urinary tract infection (BT-UTI), high-grade VUR, bilateral VUR, etiology, presence of renal scarring at the initial diagnosis and ultrasound abnormalities. The outcome was NRS. A total of 140 children were included in the risk factor analysis of NRS, 73 of whom experienced NRS, an incidence rate of 52.14%. Multivariate Cox regression suggested that the presence of renal function impairment after the initial diagnosis of UTI (OR 3.411, 95% CI 1.5751–6.646) and the occurrence of BT-UTI while receiving CAP (OR 1.995, 95% CI 1.089–2.958) were independent risk factors for NRS. Multivariate Cox regression showed that high-grade VUR had no significant effects on NRS (OR 0.940, 95% CI 0.462–1.912, P = 0.864). No significant difference was identified in multivariate Cox regression analysis in the IV–V group (vs I–III group) (OR 0.960, 95% CI 0.565–1.633, P = 0.960). Renal function impairment after the initial diagnosis of UTI and the occurrence of BT-UTI while receiving CAP were independent risk factors for NRS. Neither univariate analysis nor multivariate analysis found a correlation between VUR grade and NRS.