Children With Fever Without a Source: Use of Blood PCR Testing

Investigators from Geneva, Switzerland, conducted a prospective cross-sectional study to assess whether rates of serious bacterial infection (SBI) differed among children with fever without a source (FWS) who were, or were not, positive for human enterovirus (HEV), human parechovirus (HPeV), adenovirus (AdV), and human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6). Children <3 years old were eligible if they presented to the study institution’s ED with fever for <7 days and had no identified focus of infection on exam. Participants received usual care and had blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for HEV, HPeV, AdV, and HHV-6. Treating physicians remained blinded to PCR test results. A control group of similarly aged children without …