Related Experiment Videos

Signs and symptoms in children with a serious infection: a qualitative study

Ann Van den Bruel1, Rudi Bruyninckx, Etienne Vermeire

  • 1Department of General Practice, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. ann.vandenbruel@med.kuleuven.ac.be

BMC Family Practice
|August 30, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing serious infections in children is challenging. Behavioral changes like altered crying and parental concern are key early indicators, prompting further research into their diagnostic accuracy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • General Practice
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Early diagnosis of serious childhood infections is difficult in general practice due to low incidence and limited diagnostic tools.
  • Current diagnostic methods rely on observation, clinical history, and physical examination, with limited understanding of key signs and symptoms.
  • This study aimed to identify potentially new, important diagnostic variables for serious infections in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify important diagnostic variables for serious infections in children presenting in general practice.
  • To explore signs and symptoms related to or preceding the diagnosis of serious infections.
  • To understand parental and physician perspectives on diagnostic indicators.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with parents and physicians.
  • Grounded theory approach used for data analysis.
  • Participants recruited from general practice and hospital settings, including 18 hospitalized children with serious infections.

Main Results:

  • Changed behavior (drowsiness, irritability) and altered crying characteristics (moaning, inconsolable) were prominent signs.
  • Parental opinion, noting differences from previous illnesses or critical incidents, was a significant indicator.
  • Classical signs like fever were helpful when present but not reliable when absent.

Conclusions:

  • Behavioral signs and symptoms are highly prominent in children with serious infections.
  • These behavioral indicators warrant further assessment for diagnostic accuracy.
  • A subsequent quantitative study is planned to validate these findings.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Stages of Infection01:26

Stages of Infection

Stages of infection describe what happens to a susceptible host once a pathogen invades the human body. The stages of infection are incubation, prodromal, illness, stage of decline, and convalescence. The incubation stage is the period from exposure to a pathogen until symptoms start. The infected person is unaware of impending illness as the pathogens grow and multiply within the body. The duration may vary depending on the type of infection. The incubation period of measles averages ten to...
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis01:25

Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis

Endocarditis can present various clinical features depending on the causative organism and the patient's underlying health conditions. Initially, the clinical features of infective endocarditis develop gradually, presenting with nonspecific symptoms that can be easily mistaken for other illnesses.General SymptomsEarly symptoms of infective endocarditis are fever, chills, weakness, malaise, fatigue, and weight loss. These symptoms reflect the systemic nature of the infection and the body's...
Viral Meningitis01:18

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is often referred to as aseptic meningitis to indicate the absence of bacterial involvement. It is generally milder than bacterial meningitis, with symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, nausea, photophobia, and vomiting. Rarely, more severe manifestations or death may occur. Common causative agents include enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie A and B viruses and echoviruses, all members of the Enterovirus genus...
Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment01:30

Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment

Pneumonia poses the potential for numerous complications that warrant consideration. These complications include the following:
Bacterial Meningitis01:24

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is a severe infectious disease involving inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It occurs when pathogenic bacteria cross the blood–brain barrier and enter the cerebrospinal fluid. Common causative organisms include Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli K1. The exact route of entry varies by pathogen and host condition.Routes of Entry...
Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology01:29

Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of pneumonia involves the following steps: