OCCULT BACTEREMIA IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH VERY HIGH FEVER WITHOUT A SOURCE: A MULTICENTER STUDY

We carried out a prospective multicenter study including 203 previously healthy well-appearing children aged 3-24 months old with fever without a source ≥40.5°C. Thirty-one (15.3%, 95% confidence interval 11.0-20.9) were diagnosed with serious bacterial infection, including 6 with bacteremia (3%, 95% confidence interval 1.4-6.3). Testing for occult bacteremia in children 3-24 months old with fever without a source should be considered when fever at ≥40.5°C.