Prospective multicenter evaluation of adherence to the Dutch guideline for children aged 0-16 years with fever without a source-febrile illness in children (FINCH) study.

Evaluation of guidelines in actual practice is a crucial step in guideline improvement. A retrospective evaluation of the Dutch guideline for children with fever without an apparent source (FWS) showed 50% adherence in young infants. We prospectively evaluated adherence to the Dutch guideline and its impact on management in current practice. Prospective observational multicenter cross-sectional study, including children 3 days to 16 years old presented for FWS at one of seven emergency departments in participating secondary and tertiary care hospitals in the Netherlands. Adherence to the Dutch FWS guideline, adapted from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, was evaluated, and patterns in non-adherence and the impact of non-adherence on clinical outcomes and resource use were explored. Adherence to the guideline was 192/370 (52%). Adherence was lowest in patients categorized as high risk for severe infection (72/187, 39%), compared to the low-risk group (64/73, 88%). Differences in adherence were significant between risk categories (P < 0.001) but not between age categories. In case of non-adherence, less urinalysis, fewer bacterial cultures (blood, urine, and cerebral spinal fluid), and less empirical antibiotic treatment were performed (P < 0.050). Clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the non-adherence and the adherence group, particularly regarding missed severe infections. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high non-adherence rate of 48%, which did not lead to unfavorable clinical outcomes. This substantiates the need for a critical reevaluation of the FWS guideline and its indications for bacterial cultures, viral testing, and antibiotic treatment. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Despite the development of national guidelines, variation in practice is still substantial in the assessment of febrile children to distinguish severe infection from mild self-limiting disease. • Previous retrospective research suggests low adherence to national guidelines for febrile children in practice. WHAT IS NEW: • In case of non-adherence to the Dutch national guideline, similar to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline from the United Kingdom, physicians have used fewer resources than the guideline recommended without increasing missed severe infections.

[A girl with dyspnea and an enlarged liver]. / Een meisje met dyspneu en een vergrote lever.

BACKGROUND: During winter, the influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus season, children are often seen in the emergency department with fever and respiratory symptoms. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe the case of a 2-year-old girl with fever, dyspnea and signs of heart failure during physical examination. Echocardiogram showed a large amount of pericardial effusion with signs of cardiac tamponade. Pericardiocentesis showed 200 ml purulent liquid. Surgical drainage was performed. However pericardial effusion recurred. Because constrictive pericarditis was feared, a pericardiectomy was performed after which the patient recovered. Cultures showed Haemophilus influenzae type b and the patient was treated with amoxicillin for 4 weeks in total. CONCLUSION: Fever and dyspnea may also be caused by a problem outside the respiratory system. With physical examination a cardiac cause, such as pericarditis, can be detected. An ECG is easily obtained and can help in the differential diagnosis. An echocardiogram can confirm the diagnosis.