Evaluation of Fever in a child aged three months to 24 months.

Fever in the young infant may be especially challenging to the attending physician, particularly when no focus for the infection can be found on physical examination. Can the physician's clinical judgement be trusted? What constitutes a fever? How was the temperature measured? Can the fever harm the child? Does the child have a benign viremia or does the fever indicate a more serious underlying bacterial illness? Does a blood culture, a spinal tap, or a complete blood count need to be done? Should antibiotics or just antipyretics be prescribed? Should antipyretics be used in all febrile children; if so, in what dose? These questions have been considered at one time or another by all physicians taking care of children. Only with a comprehensive, scientific, and practical approach can the febrile infant be optimally managed.