El niño febril. Resultados de un estudio multicéntrico

Hyperpyrexia and high fever as a predictor for serious bacterial infection (SBI) in children-a systematic review

It is not clear if children with high fever are at increased risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI). Our aim was to systematically review if children suffering from high fever are at high risk for SBI. Our data sources were Embase, Medline, and Pubmed; from their inception until the last week of March 2017. The study selection were of cohort and case control studies comparing the incidence of SBI in children with hyperpyrexia with children with fever of 41 °C or less, and children with a temperature higher than 40 °C, with children with fever of 40 °C or less. Two reviewers independently pooled studies for detailed review using a structured data-collection form. We calculated the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for SBI, assuming a random-effects model. A sub-group analysis was conducted. In our results, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Two studies showed that children with hyperpyrexia are at higher risk for SBI (OR 1.96 95% CI 1.3-1.97). An increased risk for SBI in children with high fever (OR 3.21 95% CI 1.67; 6.22). SBI in infants with temperature over 40 °C was higher compared to infants with lower degree of fever (OR 6.3 95% CI 4.44; 8.95). On older children, the risk for SBI was only slightly higher in children with fever above 40 °C. The limitation of the study is the small amount of studies and that the heterogeneity of the studies was very high.

CONCLUSION

Young infants with temperature higher than 400 °C are at increased risk for SBI. Risk of SBI in older children with temperature > 400C is minimal. What is known: • An association between high fever and increased risk for SBI was reported in young infants. • Based on only two studies from the 1970s and 1980s, hyperpyrexia is associated with increased risk for SBI. What is new: • Infants under the age of 3 months with fever > 40 °C were found to have increased risk for SBI. • Risk of SBI in older children with temperature > 40 °C is minimal.

Diagnostic value of clinical features at presentation to identify serious infection in children in developed countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to identify which clinical features have value in confirming or excluding the possibility of serious infection in children presenting to ambulatory care settings in developed countries.

METHODS

In this systematic review, we searched electronic databases (Medline, Embase, DARE, CINAHL), reference lists of relevant studies, and contacted experts to identify articles assessing clinical features of serious infection in children. 1939 potentially relevant studies were identified. Studies were selected on the basis of six criteria: design (studies of diagnostic accuracy or prediction rules), participants (otherwise healthy children aged 1 month to 18 years), setting (ambulatory care), outcome (serious infection), features assessed (assessable in ambulatory care setting), and sufficient data reported. Quality assessment was based on the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies criteria. We calculated likelihood ratios for the presence (positive likelihood ratio) or absence (negative likelihood ratio) of each clinical feature and pre-test and post-test probabilities of the outcome. Clinical features with a positive likelihood ratio of more than 5.0 were deemed red flags (ie, warning signs for serious infection); features with a negative likelihood ratio of less than 0.2 were deemed rule-out signs.

FINDINGS

30 studies were included in the analysis. Cyanosis (positive likelihood ratio range 2.66-52.20), rapid breathing (1.26-9.78), poor peripheral perfusion (2.39-38.80), and petechial rash (6.18-83.70) were identified as red flags in several studies. Parental concern (positive likelihood ratio 14.40, 95% CI 9.30-22.10) and clinician instinct (positive likelihood ratio 23.50, 95 % CI 16.80-32.70) were identified as strong red flags in one primary care study. Temperature of 40 degrees C or more has value as a red flag in settings with a low prevalence of serious infection. No single clinical feature has rule-out value but some combinations can be used to exclude the possibility of serious infection-for example, pneumonia is very unlikely (negative likelihood ratio 0.07, 95% CI 0.01-0.46) if the child is not short of breath and there is no parental concern. The Yale Observation Scale had little value in confirming (positive likelihood ratio range 1.10-6.70) or excluding (negative likelihood ratio range 0.16-0.97) the possibility of serious infection.

INTERPRETATION

The red flags for serious infection that we identified should be used routinely, but serious illness will still be missed without effective use of precautionary measures. We now need to identify the level of risk at which clinical action should be taken.

FUNDING

Health Technology Assessment and National Institute for Health Research National School for Primary Care Research.

Impacto de la vacunación neumocócica en el manejo del lactante con fiebre, en relación al porcentaje de vacunación

OBJECTIVE

To calculate the impact of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) in the management of fever without source (FWS) in infants according to vaccination rates.

METHODS

The rate of pneumococcal vaccination in infants visiting 14 pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) was calculated. For the statistical analysis, two groups were established; group A: hospitals with vaccination rates of > or = 40%, and group B: hospitals with vaccination rates of < 40 %. A survey was carried out among pediatricians from 14 PEDs on the specific management of two hypothetical clinical cases of FWS (case 1: 7-month-old girl; case 2: 20-month-old girl) depending on their pneumococcal vaccination status (no vaccination, 1 o 2 doses, or 3 doses).

RESULTS

In February 2005, data were collected in 1357 patients, aged 3 to 36 months; 568 (41.86 %) had received at least one dose of PCV-7. A total of 235 questionnaires were collected, 104 in group A and 131 in group B. Pneumococcal vaccination would lead (with statistically significant differences) to fewer diagnostic tests (complete blood cell counts and blood culture). This decrease would be more pronounced in group A than in group B (56.7 % vs 26.7 % and 55.8 vs 26.7 % in case 1 and 54.8 % vs 26 % and 57.7 vs 13.7 %, case 2, respectively), p < 0.05. Infants who had received complete pneumococcal vaccination would receive fewer antibiotics and would be more likely to be discharged directly from hospital (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In the previously vaccinated infant with FWS, there would be a significant reduction in the number of diagnostic tests, need for observation in the PED, rates of hospitalization and antibiotic therapy. The reduction in diagnostic tests would increase in areas with higher rates of pneumococcal vaccination.

Lactante de 3-24 meses con fiebre sin foco en urgencias: características, tratamiento y evolución posterior

OBJECTIVE

To determine the characteristics of infants aged 3-24 months admitted to a Hospital Pediatric Emergency Room with fever without source, the management of these infants and their subsequent outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

We performed a retrospective survey of 733 children aged 3-24 months with fever without source admitted to our Emergency Room between September 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003. Subsequently, the parents of all infants diagnosed with fever without source who were managed as outpatients were telephoned to ascertain their outcome and changes in the final diagnosis.

RESULTS

Onset of fever occurred less than 6 hours before arrival at the hospital in 237 episodes (32.2%). The family reported a temperature of > or = 39 degrees C in 436 episodes. Diagnoses in the Emergency Room were the following: fever without source in 677 (92.3%), urinary tract infection in 53 (7.2%) and bacterial meningitis in three (0.4 %). Fifty-five infants with an altered dipstick were excluded and complete blood count (CBC) and blood culture were performed in 66 infants (9.7%). There was a significant negative association between the probability of a request for CBC and blood culture and higher age [6-11 months vs. 3-6 months OR 0.24 (95 % CI: 0.11-0.49); > or = 12 months vs. 3-6 months, OR 0.15 (0.07-0.3)] and a significant positive association with onset more than 12 hours previously [vs. less than 6 hours OR 2.3 (1.2-4.43)] and highest temperature registered at home > 40 degrees C [vs. less than 39 degrees C OR 4.22 (1.5-11.84)]. Follow-up was completed (by telephone or readmission to the Emergency Room) in 574 infants diagnosed with fever without source and managed as outpatients. The final diagnosis differed from that made in the Emergency Room in 158 infants (27.5%), and 70 received antibiotics (12.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable percentage of infants aged 3-24 months with fever without source visits the Emergency Room with very short-term processes. Patient observation is very useful in the management of these infants, since the final diagnosis differed from that made in the emergency room in nearly 30% and 12% were treated with antibiotics.

[Diagnostic test in emergency departments for bacterial infections in infants younger than 12 months]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical and analytic numeric data that may help the emergency departments to identify bacterial infections in infants.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of 430 infants with bacterial growth in cultures (culture from blood, 30; urine, 207; stools, 193, and/or cerebrospinal fluid, n 25) was performed. These patients were compared with a control group (n 430), randomly selected from patients aged less than 12 months with negative cultures who were hospitalized with suspected infection. Neonates and surgical patients were excluded from both groups. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test for independent samples, Levene's test for the study of equality of variances, bivariate correlation and one-factor ANOVA, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and odds ratios were calculated when statistically significant (p < 0.05) results were obtained. These analyses were performed using the SPSS 10.0 statistical software package.

RESULTS

Of the infants admitted to the pediatric unit, 11.7 % had at least one positive bacterial culture. Temperature (p 0.005), leucocyte count (p 0.003), percentage of neutrophils (p < 0.0001) and C-reactive protein (p < 0.0001) were significantly higher in infants with positive cultures. In invasive infections significant differences were found in sex (more frequent in males) (p 0.03), heart rate (p < 0.0001) and respiratory rate (p 0.003). In the ROC curves, the best diagnostic yield was obtained for C-reactive protein (0.93 for a cutoff value of 29 mg/l, 86 % specificity and 91 % sensitivity).

CONCLUSION

C-reactive protein is essential for diagnosis of bacterial infection in infants in the emergency department.