XXXX in the evaluation of febrile illness.

@entity1 @entity697 @entity2348 @entity281 @entity1800 @entity293 @entity1851
We studied prospectively 154 febrile @entity1 to determine the diagnostic value of the quantitative serum @entity1851 concentrations ( @entity1851 ). @entity1 with @entity697 , @entity697 , or treated with antibiotics during the two previous weeks and @entity1 less than 2 months of age were excluded. Ninety seven @entity1 were from private paediatric practice and 57 were @entity1 who had been admitted to hospital. The comparison group consisted of 75 @entity1 with confirmed @entity2348 whose @entity1851 values were recorded retrospectively. In the study group 35 (23%) @entity1 had a confirmed @entity1800 , 92 (59%) had a probable @entity1800 as judged from the clinical picture and outcome of the illness, and 27 (18%) had a bacterial or probable @entity2348 . When the duration of the disease was more than 12 hours and the @entity1851 value less than 20 mg/l, all @entity1 had a confirmed or probable @entity1800 . Nine @entity1 (one from the study group and eight from the comparison group) were found to have a @entity281 and a @entity1851 value of 20 mg/l or less. In all these cases, however, the duration of the symptoms was less than 12 hours. In addition @entity1851 less than or equal to 20 mg/l was found in five (14%) @entity1 with @entity293 in the comparison group. @entity1851 values of 20-40 mg/l were recorded in @entity1 with both viral and @entity2348 . A @entity1851 value greater than or equal to 40 mg/l detected 79% of @entity2348 with 90% specificity. Our data show that determination of serum @entity1851 concentrations is a valuable tool in evaluating @entity1 who have been ill for more than 12 hours.
