title: [Guideline for febrile children in the hospital setting; relevance for general practitioners and paediatricians].
abstract: Febrile children pose the diagnostic dilemma of distinguishing those with serious infections from the vast majority with self-limiting diseases at an early stage. Alarm symptoms can aid in assessing the probability of serious infections in febrile children. The combined absence of alarm symptoms is useful in ruling out serious infections. CRP and PCT values are important diagnostic markers in febrile children in hospital settings. Children without any alarm symptoms and low inflammatory markers can be treated conservatively, provided there are good instructions on reassessment. Children with amber alarm symptoms or mildly elevated inflammatory markers in whom a serious infection cannot be ruled out require clinical observation or ambulant follow-up; empirical parenteral antibiotic treatment should also be considered and easily accessible. Children with red alarm symptoms or highly elevated inflammatory markers deserve clinical observation. In children < 3 months, empirical parenteral antibiotic treatment is also indicated.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC-Sophia Kinderziekenhuis, afd. Algemene kindergeneeskunde, Rotterdam.
authors.forename: Ruud G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Nijman
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oteman
authors.forename: Rianne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oostenbrink
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015415:Biomarkers