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.