Pediatric Prediction Rule Performs Well for Identifying Pneumonia

But not for identifying other serious bacterial illnesses.

Investigators prospectively derived and externally validated a prediction rule to assess the risk of pneumonia and other serious bacterial illnesses (SBIs) in previously healthy children aged 1 month to 15 years with fever ≥38.0°C.

In the derivation cohort of 2376 children at two Dutch pediatric emergency departments (EDs; median ages 1.8 and 1.5 years), predictors of pneumonia were hypoxia (pulse oximetry <94% on room air; odds ratio, 4.9), temperature elevation (OR, 1.3 per ^°C), tachypnea (OR, 1.5), duration of fever (OR, 1.2 per day), and log transformation of C reactive protein (CRP; OR, 1.9). For other SBIs (e.g., meningitis, septicemia, and urinary tract infections), chest wall retractions (OR, 0.02) and hypoxia (OR, 0.04) were negativ…

Reviewing Author

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)