We reviewed the
incidence of occult
bacteremia, to identify the most frequent etiological agents of
bacteremias in otherwise healthy
children from one month to 10 years old,
who had
fever of unknown origin attended at the
emergency ward of an urban,
university-affiliated pediatric
referral center. This was a retrospective
medical record review, evaluating
children with
fever. Data were collected from the initial visit, when
blood cultures, hematological properties and hemosedimentation rates were examined.
Fever was considered as the highest
temperature assessed in the
hospital or reported by the responsible
adult. Occult
bacteremia was discovered in 1.4 percent of the 1,051
children evaluated, and the most common etiologic agent was
Streptococcus pneumoniae. Total
leukocyte count and
blood sedimentation rates greater than 30 mm³ were not predictive factors for occult
bacteremia.
Fever greater than 39°C was the most important factor for predicting occult
bacteremia (P<0.001). The presence of occult
bacteremia was significantly correlated with
patient hospitalization.