scholarly journals Fever without a focus in children 0-36 months of age

2006 ◽  
Vol 59 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 187-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Kuzmanovic ◽  
Nevenka Roncevic ◽  
Aleksandra Stojadinovic

Introduction. About 20% of fevers in childhood have no apparent cause. A small, but significant number of these children may have a seroius bacterial infection. Fever without a focus of infection is an acute febrile illness with rectal temperature of 38?C or higher in children younger than 36 months, without localizing signs or symptoms. Practice Guidelines for Medical Care. In this article, practical recommendations for medical care of febrile children 0-36 months of age are given, bearing in mind children's age, clinical presentation (toxic manifestations) and risk for serious bacterial infection (sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection...). Toxic appearance is a clinical presentation characterized by lethargy, poor perfusion, marked hypo/hyperventilation and cyanosis. All febrile children under 36 months of age, who are appearing toxic, require hospitalization, evaluation for sepsis and administration of empirical antibiotic therapy. All febrile neonates, however, must be hospitalized: cultures of blood, urine and spinal fluid should be taken and empirical antibiotic therapy administered immediately. Febrile infants, 28 to 90 days of age, need to be evaluated in order to determine whether they are in the low-risk group for serious bacterial infections (Rochester Criteria). Yale Observation Scale is recommended to assess febrile children aged 3-36 months, and the risk of occult bacteriemia. Febrile children, 3-36 months of age who appear well, with temperature of less than 39?C without focus, should be closely followed up without laboratory tests and antibiotics and 2-3 days later reexamined. In febrile children, 3-36 months old, with temperature of 39?C and above, without toxic manifestations, blood culture should be taken and ceftriaxone 50 mg/kg/in a single dose should be given, if leukocyte count is 15000/mm? or absolute neutrophil count is over 10.000/mm? .

2013 ◽  
pp. 209-214
Author(s):  
Manuel Tufoni ◽  
Alessandra Tovoli ◽  
Caterina Maggioli ◽  
Lucia Napoli ◽  
Carmen Serena Ricci ◽  
...  

Bacterial infections are a major problem in the management of liver cirrhosis. They represent the first precipitating cause of death since patients with cirrhosis carry an increased risk of sepsis, sepsis-induced organ failure and death. Although the clinical presentation is often misleading, the presence of bacterial infection should always be actively searched and ruled out with certainty whenever a cirrhotic patient is admitted to the hospital with an acute clinical deterioration. Major changes in the epidemiology of bacterial infections have also occurred in the last decade making the choice of empirical antibiotic therapy a challenge. We report a paradigmatic case of a 54-year old man with hepatitis C-related cirrhosis admitted to the hospital for worsening of his ascites and onset of hepatic encephalopathy, an excellent example for the difficulties of management of sepsis in cirrhosis and the limits of current knowledge.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-98
Author(s):  
George R. Buchanan ◽  
Susan J. Smith ◽  
Christine A. Holtkamp ◽  
John P. Fuseler

Although the epidemiology and pathophysiology of serious bacterial infection in homozygous sickle cell anemia (SS disease) have become increasingly well understood, information about infection risk and splenic reticuloendothelial function in hemoglobin SC disease is quite limited. Therefore, the type and frequency of invasive bacterial disease were examined in 51 children with SC disease followed for 370 person-years and splenic function was assessed in 31 patients by quantitation of pitted erythrocytes. Seven serious bacterial infections occurred in four of the patients, five due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and two to Haemophilus influenzae. A primary focus of infection was present in all episodes, none of which proved fatal. Although 30 episodes of pneumonia or chest syndrome occurred in 20 of the patients, a bacterial etiology was proven in only three instances. Splenic function was usually impaired, with a mean pit count of 7.1% ± 8.2% (range 0% to 22.9%). This is significantly greater than normal, but less than pit counts in patients with SS disease or asplenic subjects. Children with SC disease may have a greater risk of bacterial infection than normal children, but their infection rate is not nearly as high as that in patients with SS disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-203
Author(s):  
Hasan Demir ◽  
Medine Ayşin Taşar

Objective: Fever is among most common causes of admission to hospital in childhood. In 20% of febrile infants and children, no focus can be identified by physical examination and this group is defined as “acute fever without a focus” (AFWF). Bacteremia (5%), and serious bacterial infection (15%) is determined in of children with AFWF. Clinical scales and laboratory tests are used to detect the risk of occult bacteremia and serious bacterial infection in children with AFWF This study aimed to determine relation between biochemical indicators and YALE Observation Scale, besides, rates of clinical scales and biochemical indicators predicting serious bacterial infections, in 3-36 months children with AFWF. Material and Methods: This study was performed prospectively, in 77 cases, between 3-36 months of AFWF. Low risk criteria was evaluated by performing YALE Observation Scale in children. Complete blood count, absolute neutrophil count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6, procalcitonin, urine analysis, chest x-ray, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination; blood, urine and CSF cultures were obtained. Results: The mean age of the patients was 11.0 (4-36) months, 64.9% (n= 50) were boys. Most commonly AFWF recovered in patients (35.0%), and urinary tract infection was diagnosed (32.5%). Severe bacterial infection was determined in 44.2%. When patient groups with and without severe bacterial infection were compared, white blood count, ESH, CRP, and procalcitonin were significantly higher in severe bacterial infection (p< 0.05). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate had highest specificity (87.5%) in discriminating between groups with and without severe bacterial infection. Conclusion: In conclusion, AFWF mostly recovered in children at 3-36 months, and urinary tract infection was common cause. White cell count, ESR, CRP and procalcitonin were found valuable in predicting serious bacterial infection. Further studies are needed to predict interleukin-6 value relevant to serious bacterial infection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Attabak Toofani Milani ◽  
Mahshid Mohammadian ◽  
Sadegh Rostaminasab ◽  
Roghayeh Paribananaem ◽  
Zohre Ahmadi ◽  
...  

Conventional diagnostic test have limitations to deferential diagnosis in clinical suspicion ofbacterial infection cases, that in some cases lead to inappropriate antibiotic therapy and increases antibiotic resistance. A new diagnostic insight is procalcitonin (PCT) test to improve diagnosis of bacterial infections and to guide antibiotic therapy. Serum PCT levels are of useful test as a biomarker in patients with bacterial infections for several reasons. Initial rise of PCT levels due to bacterial infection, subsequent sequential PCT levels can be used to assess the effectiveness and duration of antibiotic therapy. Based on clinical researches results, in bacterial infections, promising good results obtained when use of PCT used as differential diagnostic test. But further intervention studies are needed before use of PCT in clinical routine tests. The goal of this review is to study the PCT reliability as infections diagnostic biomarker.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-414
Author(s):  
Ron Dagan ◽  
Caroline B. Hall ◽  
Marilyn A. Menegus

Because both viral and bacterial infections are common during early childhood, dual infections are not unexpected. However, the clinical manifestation of such combined infections may be, difficult to interpret, and they are often misdiagnosed as "atypical bacterial infection." Five patients with concomitant viral-bacterial infections are described. In all five cases, virus detection enabled the physicians to better understand an otherwise puzzling clinical presentation. In view of the recent progress in rapid viral diagnoses and the potential of antiviral drugs, the possibility of dual infection should be investigated more often.


2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 313
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Veny Kartika Yantie ◽  
BNP Arhana ◽  
Purnomo Suryantoro

Background There is a debate on the use of high fever \\lith othermorbidities to predict serious bacterial infection (SBI). Bacterialinfection occurs in 3􀁉15% of children with fever of 2: 39°C.Various laboratory parameters including increased C􀁉reactiveprotein (CRP) levels, leukocyte counts, and absolute neutrophilcounts (AN C) have been studied for their usefulness in predictingthe occurrence of SBI, but with varied results. The ability todiscriminate whether a patient has a SBI can lead to improvedpatient management.Objective To evaluate fever of 2: 39°C, leukocyte counts of2: 15,000/mm3, ANC of 2: 1O,000/mm3 and CRP of 2: 10 mgiL aspredictors of SBI in children aged 1 month􀁉 18 years.Methods A case􀁉controlled study was conducted by collectingdata from medical records at Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar. Subjectsin the case group were diagnosed \\lith SBls (bacterial meningitis,bacterial pneumonia, bacteremia or sepsis, urinary tract infections,or bacterial gastroenteritis), and subjects in the control group nonserious bacterial infections (non􀁉SBI). Data was analyzed usingbivariate and multivariate methods \\lith 95% confidence intervalsand a statistical significance value ofP <0.05.Results Sixty subjects were studied, \\lith 30 subjects in the casegroup and 30 in the control group. Baseline characteristics ofsubjects were similar between the two groups. Fever and CRP werepredictors ofSBI [OR8.71 (95% CI 1.61 t046.98), P 􀀁 0.009; andOR 6.20 (95% CI 1.58 to 24.24), P 􀀁 0.012, respectively].Conclusion Fever 2: 39°C and CRP 2: 10 mgiL were significantpredictors of serious bacterial infections in children. [Paediatrrndones, 2012;52:313-6].


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242533
Author(s):  
David Yu ◽  
Karolina Ininbergs ◽  
Karolina Hedman ◽  
Christian G. Giske ◽  
Kristoffer Strålin ◽  
...  

Purpose In the management of COVID-19, knowledge is lacking on the frequency of secondary bacterial infections and on how empirical antibiotic therapy should be used. In the present study, we aimed to compare blood culture (BC) results of a COVID-19 patient cohort with two cohorts of patients without detected COVID-19. Methods Using a retrospective cohort study design of patients subjected to BC in six tertiary care hospitals, SARS-CoV-2 positive patients from March 1 to April 30 in 2020 (COVID-19 group) were compared to patients without confirmed SARS-CoV-2 during the same period (control group-2020) and with patients sampled March 1 to April 30 in 2019 (control group-2019). The outcomes studied were proportion of BC positivity, clinically relevant growth, and contaminant growth. Results In total 15,103 patients and 17,865 BC episodes were studied. Clinically relevant growth was detected in 197/3,027 (6.5%) BC episodes in the COVID-19 group compared to 717/6,663 (10.8%) in control group-2020 (p<0.0001) and 850/8,175 (10.4%) in control group-2019 (p<0.0001). Contamination was present in 255/3,027 (8.4%) BC episodes in the COVID-19 group compared to 330/6,663 (5.0%) in control group-2020 (p<0.0001) and 354/8,175 (4.3%) in control group-2019 (p<0.0001). Conclusion In COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of bloodstream bacterial infection is low and the contamination rate of BC is high. This knowledge should influence guidelines regarding blood culture sampling and empirical antibiotic therapy in COVID-19 patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-195
Author(s):  
Mohsin Azam ◽  
Su Laurent

Fever is probably the most common reason for a child to be taken to a doctor’s surgery, with approximately 20 to 40% of parents reporting that their child had a febrile illness in the last year. Febrile illness in young children has a wide range of causes, and creates concern in parents and carers. In most cases, the cause is a self-limiting viral infection. However, fever may also be the presenting feature of serious bacterial infections such as meningitis. Infections remain the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 years, despite advances in healthcare. Therefore, guidance to help healthcare professionals distinguish between the majority of children who have minor self-limiting conditions and the occasional child with a sinister or even life-threatening infection is vital. This article aims to advise GPs on how to assess and initially manage a febrile child younger than 5 years, principally based on up-to-date National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.


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