When Can Hospitalized Neonates With Only Historical Fever Be Discharged?

Investigators from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, conducted a retrospective study to assess the risk of serious bacterial infection (SBI) among neonates ≤28 days old who had a history of fever but were afebrile at presentation to the ED. Study participants were neonates ≤28 days old who were evaluated for SBI in the ED at their institution between 2006 and 2017 and then hospitalized. Only those patients who had blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures were included in the analysis. The medical records of study neonates were reviewed, and data on demographics, culture results, and temperatures during hospitalization were abstracted. Fever was defined as a temperature ≥38.0°C. Participants were placed into 1 of 3 groups: (a …