Management of the Young Febrile Child: A Continuing Controversy

Commentary| July 01 1997 Management of the Young Febrile Child: A Continuing Controversy Howard Bauchner, MD; Howard Bauchner, MD Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Stephen I. Pelton, MD Stephen I. Pelton, MD Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Reprint requests to (H.B.) Boston Medical Center, Maternity Bldg 415, 818 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118. Pediatrics (1997) 100 (1): 137–138. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.100.1.137 Article history Received: April 29 1997 Accepted: April 29 1997 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Howard Bauchner, Stephen I. Pelton; Management of the Young Febrile Child: A Continuing Controversy. Pediatrics July 1997; 100 (1): 137–138. 10.1542/peds.100.1.137 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP Grand RoundsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: fever, bacteremia In 1975, Teele and colleagues1 identified the risk factors for and occurrence of bacteremia in young febrile children presenting to a pediatric walk-in clinic. They found that 3.2% of children 4 weeks to 2 years of age were bacteremic and that the height of the temperature and white blood cell count were valuable predictors of bacteremia. The Teele report initiated a controversy regarding the management of young febrile children that continues today. Despite more than 20 years of research, the essential question remains unchanged—does obtaining a blood culture and initiating expectant therapy with oral or parenteral antibiotics prevent serious sequelae? In this issue of Pediatrics,Kramer and Shapiro2 argue that recently published guidelines for management of febrile children,3 which recommend blood culture and expectant therapy in infants and children with temperatures ≥39°C, are costly, intrusive, and do more harm than good.2 Good clinical practice guidelines have... You do not currently have access to this content.