Causes of fever in Gabonese children: a cross-sectional hospital-based study.
Sci Rep
; 10(1): 2080, 2020 02 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32034188
ABSTRACT
The causes of infections in pediatric populations differ between age groups and settings, particularly in the tropics. Such differences in epidemiology may lead to misdiagnosis and ineffective empirical treatment. Here, we investigated the current spectrum of pathogens causing febrile diseases leading to pediatric hospitalization in Lambaréné, Gabon. From August 2015 to March 2016, we conducted a prospective, cross-sectional, hospital-based study in a provincial hospital. Patients were children ≤ 15 years with fever ≥ 38 °C and required hospitalization. A total of 600 febrile patients were enrolled. Malaria was the main diagnosis found in 52% (311/600) patients. Blood cultures revealed septicemia in 3% (17/593), among them four cases of typhoid fever. The other causes of fever were heterogeneously distributed between both bacteria and viruses. Severe infections identified by Lambaréné Organ Dysfunction Score (LODS) were also most often caused by malaria, but children with danger signs did not have more coinfections than others. In 6% (35/600) of patients, no pathogen was isolated. In Gabon, malaria is still the major cause of fever in children, followed by a bacterial and viral disease. Guidelines for both diagnosis and management should be tailored to the spectrum of pathogens and resources available locally.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Febre
/
Infecções
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Guideline
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Gabão