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Table 1 Demographics and presentation of febrile infants in the emergency department

From: Pyrexia in a young infant – is height of fever associated with serious bacterial infection?

Demographics

SBI (N = 207)

NO SBI (N = 850)

P value

Median age in months (IQR)

1.2 (1.2–2.4)

1.2 (1.2–2.4)

0.434

Age ≤ 28 days (%)

41 (19.8)

207 (24.4)

0.177

Mean temperature in ℃ (SD)

38. 5 (0.6)

38.2 (0.5)

 < 0.001

Male gender (%)

164 (79.2)

465(54.7)

 < 0.001

Pulse rate per minute (SD)

168 (22.0)

166 (20.0)

0.237

Respiratory rate per minute (SD)

42 (6.7)

42 (6.4)

0.711

SIS < 7 (%)A

11 (5.3)

30 (3.5)

0.331

Body Temperature Distribution (%)

  < 38.0℃

32 (15.5)

212 (24.9)

0.040

 38.0—38.9℃

143 (69.1)

556 (65.4)

0.317

 39.0—39.9℃

30 (14.5)

76 (8.9)

0.017

  > 40.0℃

2 (1.0)

6 (0.7)

0.698

Triage Category (%) B

  

0.081

 1 (%)

23 (11.1)

60 (7.1)

 

 2 + (%)

161 (77.8)

665 (78.2)

 

 2 (%)

23 (11.1)

125 (14.7)

 

Interventions received (%)

 Fluid bolus (%)

22 (10.6)

78 (9.2)

0.522

 Inotropic support (%)

3 (1.4)

3 (0.4)

0.060

 Ventilatory support (%)

4 (1.9)

13 (1.5)

0.582

 ICU admission (%)

6 (2.9)

8 (0.9)

0.027

  1. AThe severity index score – used to identify a sick child based on the respiratory effort, colour, activity, temperature and ability to play. Scores < or equal to 7 indicate a very sick child
  2. BThe hospital’s triage system reflecting the urgency at which patients need to be reviewed. 1- seen immediately; 2 +—seen within 15 min of triage, 2- seen within first hour of triage