Bacteremia in Febrile Children Seen in a “Walk-in” Pediatric Clinic

Abstract In an effort to identify high-risk children blood for culture was obtained in children whose temperature was 38.3°C or higher when they were seen in the pediatric walk-in clinic. Clinically important bacterial pathogens were identified in the blood from 31 of 708 children in a three-month period. Diplococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were the most frequent of seven species identified. The data suggest that in this setting, a blood culture provides valuable help in establishing the specific bacteriologic diagnosis in febrile children without focal signs of infection. Bacteremia was most frequent in children seven to 12 months old (p<0.001) and was associated with a white-cell count of 20,000 or more (p<0.01)and a temperature of 39.4°C or higher (p<0.01). (N Engl J Med 288:1309–1312, 1973)