ASSESSMENT AND INITIAL MANAGEMENT OF A FEVERISH ILLNESS IN CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 5 YEARS ACCORDING TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM

Key words: Fever, Infant, Guideline, Management

Fever in young children usually indicates an underlying infection, but identifying the cause can pose a diagnostic challenge. In the absence of guidance, feverish illness is variably assessed and managed by paediatricians. In May 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published the most recent guideline about assessment and initial treatment of children aged under 5 years with fever, based on a intuitive traffic light system. This guideline is based on systematic reviews of best available evidence and when minimal evidences were available, a range of consensus techniques was used to develop recommendations. This article aims at summarising this guidance from NICE and at proposing a practical care pathway for remote, face-to-face and hospital assessment and management of feverish children.