Febrile Illness in Children and Pediatric Infectious Disease Flashcards
One of the m/c symptoms in pediatric illness
fever
definition of hypothermia and fever?
- core temperature < 36.5° C (97.7° F)
- core body (rectal) temperature ≥ 38.0° C (100.4° F)
T/F: Young children tend to have higher core temps than adults
T
Fever is a regulated elevation of body temperature mediated by what part of the brain?
the anterior hypothalamus
An insult, MC ____ in kids, induces macrophages to release ____ that function as endogenous pyrogens (fever producing substance)
- viral
- cytokines (IL-1 and 6)
stimulates the production of prostaglandins by the hypothalamus; prostaglandins readjust and elevate the temperature set point
Cytokines
why do we get chills when we have a fever?
- core temp < thermostat setting = feels chilled
- Chills = generate more internal heat - shivering, vasocontricting skin and turnin goff sweat glands
how can fevers be good?
- disrupts growth and reproduction of many invasive pathogenic microorganisms, both bacterial and viral
- lower amount of iron available to invading bacteria, which have a higher iron requirement
- enhances neutrophil migration, T-Cell proliferation, and interferon activity
ways to measure temperature and which is most accurate?
- Rectal (most accurate) - birth to 3 years
- Oral: >4 yrs
- 0.5-1 ⁰F < rectal d/t mouth breathing, recent ingestions of cold liquids - Axillary - 0.5-1 ⁰F < oral
- Fever if the axillary temp 99.0F or 37.2 C - Forehead - Temporal arteries
- MC way due to being quick and requiring little patient cooperation
- Can have false readings if not positioned properly or the external ear canal is occluded by wax
- Not reliable < 6m
tympanic
s/s fever
- Young children desire close contact with warm person
- Wish to be covered by a blanket
- Somewhat lethargic
- dec ability to concentrate
- Irritability and anorexia (esp small infant)
- Hypermetabolic state with flushed cheeks
- Hot and dry feeling of skin
- Dry mouth and lips (dehydration)
- Sweating
- Febrile seizure
- Unusual glitter in eyes
- Sleepy
- Some exceptionally alert and excited (MC kids 5-10y)
- 10-15 beat pulse increase with every 1◦C
what type of fever patient may be safely sent home with symptomatic treatment and careful return precautions
A well-appearing, well-hydrated child with evidence of a routine viral infection
causes of fever
- MC rsp and GI tracts infections - MC viral (rsv, influenza, croup, adenovirus)
- Other sources: autoimmune disease, Neoplastic, Metabolic disease (hyperthyroidism)
supportive measures for fever
- Educate parents
-
MC reason to treat fever is if child is uncomfortable
- Decision to tx is based on child’s behavior, not on any particular threshold
- Some tolerate fevers w/o ill effect, while some become irritable and cranky - Acetaminophen and NSAIDS
- NSAIDS: >6 months, short term safe if >3 months
- Tylenol: >3 months - No aspirin
- Physical cooling
febrile kids are still contagious until when?
fever free for 24 hours
when to seek immediate help with fever
- < 3 months of age
- Fever > 40.6◦C / 105.8◦F
- crying inconsolably or whimpering
- crying when moved or even touched
- difficult to awaken
- Stiff neck
- Purple spots or dots on skin
- breathing is difficult and not better after nasal passages are cleared
- drooling saliva and is unable to swallow
- convulsion
- acts or looks “very sick”
when to seek help within 24 hrs for fever?
- 3-6 months old (unless fever occurs within 48h after a dtap vaccine with no other serious sx)
- Fever > 40◦C / 104◦F
- Burning or pain occurs with urination
- Returned fever afterit has subsided for >24h
- Fever present > 72 h
A ____ infection usually disseminates faster in a younger child
bacterial
Children between ______ of age have been of special interest to researchers and clinicians because fever is most common in this group
they may be difficult to assess, particularly during the first ___ months of age
- birth and 36 months
- 6
When evaluating the febrile young infant, the goal is to ?
identify infants who are at high risk for invasive bacterial infection (IBI) or serious viral infection who therefore require empiric antimicrobial treatment and hospitalization
types of IBIs
UTI, bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonias, skin/soft tissue infections, septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, bacterial gastroenteritis
MCC of most bacterial infections in infants under 90 d
UTI
Risk Factors for IBI/Serious Viral infections:
- < 28 d old
- Ill appearance: lethargy, listlessness, or toxic appearance, rsp distress, petechiae/purpura, inconsolability
- Rectal Temp >104F
- Not immunized (esp first dose of Hib and pneumococcal)
- Prematurity
- Comorbidities
- abx in last 3-7 d
- Risk of maternally transmitted diseases (maternal fever, PROM, cx (+) GBS, genital herpes)
Treatment plans differ on age of child?
what is the one exception?
- Birth - 21 d
- 22-28 d , 29-60 d, 61-90 d.
- 90 d - 36 mo
exception: all ill-appearing children with toxic look will undergo full evaluation