British doctors get new advice today to help them identify when a child with fever is suffering from a serious illness.
Diseases such as meningitis are rare but devastating – and health professionals often get blamed when they have not been spotted when parents have first sought help.
The guidance says that health professionals presented with a feverish child, aged less than five, should check vital signs – including temperature, heart rate and breathing.
It says that any reports of fever from parents or carers should be acted upon.
The guidance is being published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
It adds that a child with an unexplained fever of more than 38C should have their urine tested.
NICE says doctors should use a traffic light system to assess the risk that a child is suffering from serious illness.
Dr Andrew Riordan, from Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, said: “Identifying the cause of fever can be very difficult, particularly in very young children, and some children can deteriorate very quickly.
"The standard encourages healthcare professionals to use the ‘traffic light system’ which may help pick up high-risk symptoms earlier and potentially prevent long-term harm."
Professor Gillian Leng, of NICE, said: “In many cases fever is caused by a viral infection and children will recover quickly without treatment. However in some cases it can be the first sign of a more serious bacterial illness such as meningitis or pneumonia."
The guidance was welcomed by the Meningitis Research Foundation.
Chief executive Christopher Head said: "Meningitis and septicaemia become life-threatening within hours of the onset of fever, so identification and treatment are time critical.
"Our charity shares NICE’s commitment to identifying seriously ill children from amongst those with milder feverish illnesses."
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