Diagnostic variation for febrile children in European emergency departments.

ABSTRACT: The study aimed to explore the use of diagnostics for febrile children presenting to European emergency departments (EDs), the determinants of inter-hospital variation, and the association between test use and hospitalization. We performed a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional observational study involving 28 paediatric EDs from 11 countries. A total of 4560 children < 16 years were included, with fever as reason for consultation. We excluded neonates and children with relevant comorbidities. Our primary outcome was the proportion of children receiving testing after primary evaluation, by country and by focus of infection. Variability between hospitals and effects of blood testing on patient disposition were explored by multilevel regression analyses, adjusting for patient characterist

SUBMITTER: Zanetto L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9110537 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature