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[The clinical analysis of febrile children]
Insights
This study analyzed 3793 children in an emergency unit, finding most presented with fever, primarily due to respiratory infections. Higher body temperatures correlated with an increased risk of febrile convulsions in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Medicine
Context:
- Analysis of 3793 pediatric emergency unit cases from December 1984 to December 1985.
- Identified fever as a primary presenting symptom in 74.9% of cases.
- Examined demographic, seasonal, and clinical characteristics of febrile children.
Purpose:
- To characterize febrile children presenting to an emergency unit.
- To identify common causes of fever in pediatric emergency settings.
- To investigate the relationship between fever severity and associated conditions like convulsions.
Summary:
- The study found respiratory tract infections to be the most frequent cause of fever in children attending the emergency unit.
- Fever was prevalent, with temperatures ranging from 37.1°C to over 41°C.
- A significant association was observed between elevated body temperature and the occurrence of convulsions.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the epidemiology of fever in pediatric emergency care.
- Highlights the importance of monitoring temperature in febrile children due to convulsion risk.
- Informs clinical practice regarding the diagnosis and management of common febrile illnesses in children.
Abstract:
To understand the febrile children in clinic practice, 3793 cases had been collected from our emergency unit from December 1984 to December 1985. Of them, 2841 (74.9%) were febrile with a male to female ratio of 3:2. Concerning age distribution, 22% were younger than 6 months, 21.5% between 7 months and 1 year, 17.6% 1-2 years and 38.9% older than 2 years. Cases happened most in February, followed by July. In these febrile children, the axillary temperature was 37.1-37.9 C in 778 cases (27.4%), 38-38.9 C in 1118 cases (39.3%), 39-39.9 C in 846 cases (29.8%), 40-40.9 C in 91 cases (3.2%), and 41-41.9 C in 8 cases (0.3). Convulsion associated with fever were noted in 112 cases (3.9%). Of them, axillary temperature was 37.1-37.9 C in 30 cases (3.9%), 38-38.9 C in 29 cases (2.6%), 39-39.9 C in 42 cases (4.9%), 40-40.9 C in 6 cases (6.6%), and 41-41.9 C in 5 cases (62.5%). Clinical diagnosis included acute pharyngitis (1125 cases, 39.6%), acute bronchitis (515, 18.1%), acute bronchiolitis (232, 8.2%), acute gastroenteritis (235, 8.3%), bronchopneumonia (159, 5.6%), acute tonsillitis (135, 4.7%), sepsis (88, 3.1%), and others (352, 12.4%). In conclusion, most emergency called children had fever. The underlying disease to induce fever is most frequently the respiratory tract infection. The possibility of convulsion increase with the rising of body temperature.