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Observational study reveals low bacteremia rates in well-appearing children with prolonged fever, suggesting limited blood test utility.
The prevalence of bacteremia in well‑appearing children with prolonged fever was extremely low, indicating the limited utility of routine blood tests in this population. Most bacterial diagnoses were based on imaging, especially for pneumonia. Clinical assessment should remain central in decision‑making, reserving investigations for selected cases where they may meaningfully influence management.
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Herruzo-Pino et al. (2026) studied this question.
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