title: Acute infectious illness in children.
abstract: The young child with fever represents a diagnostic challenge. The physician has powerful allies with which to meet this challenge--the carefully performed observation, history, and physical examination. This evaluation, along with an appreciation of age and temperature risk factors, can lead to optimum patient care and to a more apposite use of both screening and diagnostic laboratory studies. Decisions about hospitalization and therapy are based on an appreciation of causative agents, a comprehensive knowledge of disease processes, and any aspects of the social situation that could have an adverse influence on outpatient management.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510-8064.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001831:Body Temperature; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010808:Physical Examination; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents