Clinicians' gut feeling about serious infections in children: observational study

摘要

STUDY QUESTION What is the basis and added value of a "gut feeling" that infections in acutely ill children are more serious than suggested by clinical assessment? SUMMARY ANSWER A gut feeling of something wrong in children despite an otherwise reassuring clinical assessment substantially increased the risk of serious illness (likelihood ratio 25.5,95% confidence interval 7.9 to 82.0). Clinical features strongly associated with gut feelingwere the overall response of the child (decreased consciousness, no laughing) and parental concern that the illness was different from previous experience (odds ratio 36.3,95% confidence interval 12.3 to 107.07).