A review of the scientific evidence available on the indications for hospitalization in pediatric patients with urinary tract infection is presented. We found no studies that specifically evaluated the utility of hospitalization in children with urinary tract infection. Only indirect data were found on the identification of high risk infections, but none of the clinical-laboratory parameters evaluated had sufficient sensitivity and specificity to support their use as the basis for decision making. However, in clinical practice, identification of the location of the infection is not important when considering hospitalization. Some studies have shown that ambulatory treatment with oral antibiotics is safe and effective in patients with pyelonephritis with good general status and with no history of uropathy. Consequently, the decision to admit the patient should be mainly based on evaluation of the patient's clinical status and on the estimated risk of general complications.