The diagnostic model was more accurate than physician judgment.
Febrile illnesses in young children account for about 25 million medical visits annually in the U.S. The challenge for clinicians is distinguishing between viral illnesses and serious bacterial infections (SBIs) and deciding whether to initiate antibiotic treatment (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Mar 31 2010 and JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Apr 7 2010). Investigators prospectively tested the accuracy of a clinical diagnostic model for predicting SBI in 12,807 febrile children younger than 5 years who presented to one emergency department (ED) during the 2-year study (2004–2006). Cancer and transplant patients were excluded.
Clinicians recorded 40 signs and symptoms for 15,781 febrile illnesses and followed children until they had confirmed diagnoses or no…