Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Hyperpyrexia among infants younger than 3 months.

Rachel Stanley1, Zrinka Pagon, Richard Bachur

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. stanleyr@med.umich.edu

Pediatric Emergency Care
|May 6, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Hyperpyrexia is rare in infants under 3 months but indicates a high risk of serious bacterial infection (SBI). Nearly 40% of infants with temperatures of 40°C or higher had SBI, primarily urinary tract infections.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Consensus Statement on Pediatric Disaster Medicine Research Priorities.

JAMA network open·2026
Same author

Development of a neurologic deterioration risk score in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury and intracranial injuries.

The journal of trauma and acute care surgery·2026
Same author

Less Is More: Medical Clearance Testing for Mental Health Emergency Department Visits.

Pediatrics·2025
Same author

Show Me the Money: A Movement Towards Transparency in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Compensation.

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·2025
Same author

Update to the role of staging laparoscopy in the assessment of resectability of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: have improvements in cross-sectional and functional imaging rendered it redundant?

HPB : the official journal of the International Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association·2025
Same author

Improving Mass Casualty Incident Preparedness of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Disaster medicine and public health preparedness·2025

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Disease
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Fever in infants under 3 months necessitates careful evaluation for serious bacterial infection (SBI).
  • Hyperpyrexia (temperature ≥40°C) is uncommon but may signify a higher risk of infection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of SBI in infants younger than 3 months presenting with fever ≥40°C.
  • To compare the incidence of SBI in infants with hyperpyrexia versus those with lower fevers.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for infants <3 months with fever presenting to a pediatric emergency department.
  • Comparison of SBI prevalence between infants with hyperpyrexia (≥40°C) and those with lower fevers.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Of 5279 febrile infants, 98 (1.7%) had hyperpyrexia (≥40°C).
  • SBI was diagnosed in 38% of infants with hyperpyrexia, most commonly urinary tract infections (71%).
  • SBI prevalence was significantly higher in infants with hyperpyrexia (38%) compared to those with lower fevers (8.8%).

Conclusions:

  • Hyperpyrexia is a rare but significant finding in febrile infants.
  • Infants with hyperpyrexia have a substantially increased risk of SBI.
  • Consideration of hyperpyrexia as a risk factor in clinical algorithms for febrile infants is warranted.