Managing fever in infants and toddlers

PREVIEW

When does a child's high temperature call for aggressive treatment? In what circumstances is a febrile infant at such low risk for serious infection that outpatient management is permissible? The authors answer these questions and more as they discuss fundamental considerations (fever, toxicity, age-group differences, the sepsis workup), describe use of the Rochester criteria for assessing infection risk, recommend treatment strategies by age-group, and note acceptable variations, based on physician and parent preferences, from the recommended strategies.