Clinical management of fever in children younger than three years of age.

The clinical management of febrile children continues to evolve, especially in the light of vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type B and more recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae. These vaccines have decreased the risk of serious bacterial illness in most children, allowing for a more selective approach to investigation and empirical treatment. However, children younger than three months of age still require an aggressive approach to investigation and careful follow-up. Certain laboratory criteria can allow safe management of even young infants on an outpatient basis. The present article outlines an age-based approach to investigation and management of children with fever.