Febrile children and sepsis

key message

always refer children < 3 months of age with fever for paediatric assessment.

The NICE fever in under 5 guidance is good - in particular traffic light table is an excellent practical quick reference resource and there is a link to a pdf and online learning here and safety net resources

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng143/resources

Some useful videos on assessment which although old have the key knowledge:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N35J3NLJW_s&t=512s

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulh6MHtysH4&t=72s

Spotting the sick child is the premier online learning resource https://spottingthesickchild.com

Always refer babies with recorded fever either by parents or healthcare professionals under 3 months

Beware and have low threshold to refer multiple repeat presentations with parental concern

Expose appropriately every child for non blanching rash and review and document that a child is not meningitis

Neonates are not to be trusted if you have any infection concerns have a low threshold for referral

Always check for incomplete vaccination status and consider if the child is immunocompromised as they are in a higher risk category. Children with Down’s syndrome have increased risk for infections