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- Title
Retrospective Analysis of Fever in Pediatric Age: Our Experience over the Last 5 Years.
- Authors
Valenzise, Mariella; D'Amico, Federica; La Barbera, Giulia; Cassone, Carlo Maria; Patafi, Silvia; Lombardo, Fortunato; Aversa, Tommaso; Wasniewska, Malgorzata Gabriela; Salzano, Giuseppina; Morace, Carmela
- Abstract
Background: Fever is one of the most frequent symptoms highlighted during medical assistance. Due to this great impact, our study has the purpose of analyzing the demographic and laboratory characteristics of patients hospitalized in our center and identifying predictive markers to make the differential diagnosis between infectious and non-infectious fever. Methods: Our population included 220 children, collected from January 2017 to August 2022, hospitalized for continuous fever (4 days or more in duration with at least one temperature peak ≥37.5 °C) and excluded cases of discharge against medical advice and/or transfer to other operating units. Demographic (mean age at the time of admission, frequency of hospitalization, and mean days of hospitalization), laboratory, and instrumental variables were analyzed in order to find correlation with fever etiology. Results: Older age at the time of hospitalization, family history of periodic fever, fever lasting more than 8 days, and longer hospitalization are strongly associated with non-infectious fever, together with anemia, high platelet count, high CRP and ferritin, and hyponatremia at the time of admission. Paracetamol is the preferred antipyretic treatment. Echocardiogram has shown anomalies in patients with infectious fever, while ECG anomalies were detected in non-infectious fever. Conclusions: Our data underline the importance of predictive markers, such as clinical and laboratory parameters, to differentiate infectious from non-infectious fevers, but further studies are necessary.
- Subjects
STATISTICAL correlation; ANEMIA; DIFFERENTIAL diagnosis; PLATELET count; FERRITIN; PREDICTION models; T-test (Statistics); HOSPITAL care; MEVALONATE kinase deficiency; FEVER; RETROSPECTIVE studies; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; FAMILY history (Medicine); DNA; CHI-squared test; CLINICAL pathology; MEDICAL records; ACQUISITION of data; RESEARCH; HYPONATREMIA; NONOPIOID analgesics; DATA analysis software; COMPARATIVE studies; BIOMARKERS; C-reactive protein; ACETAMINOPHEN; ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY; CHILDREN
- Publication
Children, 2024, Vol 11, Issue 5, p539
- ISSN
2227-9067
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/children11050539