Respiratory virus infections in febrile children presenting to a general practice out-of-hours service

Background: Fever is common in young children and is assumed to be frequently caused by viral infections. Objectives: To document respiratory viruses in children with fever presenting at a general practice out-of-hours service (OHS), evaluate presenting symptoms in febrile children with a virus infection, and examine the association between antibiotic prescription and the presence of a viral infection. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained to detect respiratory viruses in non-hospitalized children aged ≥ three months to six years presenting with fever at an OHS. Symptoms were assessed using physical examinations and questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to reveal associations between symptoms or diagnoses, and the presence of at least one virus Results: In total 257 nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained in 306 eligible children; 53% of these children were infected by at least one virus. The most frequently detected viruses were adenovirus (10.9%), RSV type A (10.5%) and PIV type 1 (8.6%). Cough (OR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4-4.6) and temperature ≥ 38.0°C (OR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3-3.5) were independent predictors of the presence of a virus, bu

C-reactive protein level as diagnostic marker in young febrile children presenting in a general practice out-of-hours service

Background: It is unclear how well a C-reactive protein (CRP) value predicts a serious infection (SI) in young febrile children in general practice. Methods: This prospective cohort study with 1-week follow-up included children, aged 3 months to 6 years, presenting with fever to a general practitioner out-of-hours service. We evaluate whether CRP level has predictive value for diagnosing a child at risk for an SI either at presentation or during followup. The index test was CRP 80 mg/L (rule in an SI). The reference standard was referral to a pediatric emergency department or diagnosis of an SI. The main outcome measure was CRP value. Results: CRP level was available for 440 children. To rule out an SI, CRP 80 mg/L increased the probability of having an SI from 11.4% (pretest probability) to 21.2% (posttest probability). In children without a diagnosis of SI at presentation, CRP could not predict an SI during follow-up (CRP >80 mg/L: Positive likelihood ratio, 2.1, 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.5; CRP <20 mg/L: Negative likelihood ratio, 0.9, 95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.2). Conclusions: In general practice CRP has little clinically relevant value in discriminating febrile children in need of medical care from those who are not

Predicting prolonged duration of fever in children:a cohort study in primary care

Background Fever in children in primary care is commonly caused by benign infections, but often worries parents. Information about the duration of fever and its predictors may help in reassuring parents, leading to diminished consultation of health care. Aim To determine which signs and symptoms predict a prolonged duration of fever in febrile children in primary care and evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement has an additive predictive value for these symptoms. Design and setting A prospective cohort study at a GPs' cooperative (GPC) out-of-hours service. Method Children (aged 3 months to 6 years) presenting with fever as stated by the parents were included. Exclusion criteria were no communication in Dutch possible, previous enrolment in the study within 2 weeks, referral to the hospital directly after visiting the GPC, or no informed consent. The main outcome measure was prolonged duration of fever (> 3 days) after initial contact. Results Four-hundred and eighty children were analysed, and the overall risk of prolonged duration was 13% (63/480). Multivariate analysis combined model of patient history and physical examination showed that 'sore throat' (OR 2.8; 95% CI = 1.30 to 6.01) and 'lymph nodes palpable' (OR 1.87; 95% CI = 1.01 to 3.49) are predictive for prolonged duration of fever. The discriminative value of the model was low (AUC 0.64). CRP had no additive value in the prediction of prolonged duration of fever (OR 1.00; 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.01). Conclusion The derived prediction model indicates that only a few signs and symptoms are related to prolonged duration of fever. CRP has no additional value in this model. Overall, because the discriminative value of the model was low, the duration of fever cannot be accurately predicted

Duration of fever and course of symptoms in young febrile children presenting with uncomplicated illness

Purpose: It is important to advise parents when to consult a doctor when their child has fever. To provide evidence-based, safety-net advice for young febrile children, we studied the risk of complications, the occurrence of alarm symptoms, the duration of fever. Methods: In a 7-day prospective follow-up study, we included 463 consecutive children aged 3 months to 6 years who presented with fever at a general practitioner out-of-hours service. We excluded 43 children with complicated illnesses at presentation. In a structured assessment, the duration of fever before presentation was noted and a physical examination was performed. Parents reported alarming symptoms and rectal temperature in a diary for 1 week. The total duration of fever included its duration before presentation. Median duration of fever was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier test. Results: During follow-up, 3.2% of the children with uncomplicated illness at presentation developed a complicated illness. The presence of alarming symptoms dropped from 79.3% at day 2 of the fever episode to 36.7% at day 9. The estimated median duration of the total fever episode was 4.0 days (95% confidence interval, 3.6-4.4). Conclusions: In children with uncomplicated illnesses, the daily occurrence of alarming symptoms reported by parents was high. The median duration of fever was 4 days. The predictive value of alarming symptoms reported by parents for complicated illness should be reconsidered. (J Am Board Fam Med 2013;26:445- 452.)