title: Management of children with occult bacteremia who are treated in the emergency department.
abstract: Occult bacteremia, which precedes many serious infections in children, is most often due Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, or Salmonella species. Diagnosis on the basis of clinical judgment is unreliable, although the presence of certain risk factors may suggest the diagnosis. These risk factors include an age of 3 months to 3 years, a temperature of greater than or equal to 39.0 degrees C, and a white blood cell count of greater than or equal to 15,000/mm3. Although results are delayed, a culture of blood is the only definitive test. Studies suggest that treatment with various antibiotics may be helpful, but that some drugs, particularly orally administered amoxicillin, should not be relied on to eliminate occult bacteremia or prevent its most serious sequela, meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Fleisher
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents