[Clinical observation and analysis of febrile children].

Fever is an indication of acute disease, and needs special attention. To better understand the causes of fever in children, we analysed the records of 100 febrile children who were admitted to this Hospital from June 1987 to December, 1989. In these 100 cases, 7 days' fever prior to admission included 32 cases (32%); 7 to 14 days' fever prior to admission, 43 cases (43%); over 14 days' pre-admission, 25 cases (25%). The age distribution was younger than 1 month, 3 cases; 1 month to 1 year, 52 cases; 1 year to 2 1/2 years, 20 cases; 2 1/2 years to 5 years, 16 cases; 5 to 10 years 6 cases; older than 10 years included 3 cases. Post-admission diagnoses of these children showed most had an infectious disease: 86 cases; "summer fever": 5 cases; perineal abscess: 1 case; cellulitis: 1 case; leukemia, 2 cases; 5 were from other causes. Fevers were more prevalent in summer. In conclusion, the most common cause of prolonged fever in children is infectious disease 86%, with the highest incidence of age distribution under 2 1/2 years old, with 73%. The case distribution showed a prevalence in summer 43%. Almost all prognoses were good.