Management of the Young Febrile Child: A Commentary on Recent Practice Guidelines

Two physicians propose less aggressive management of children with fever than is recommended by practice guidelines published in 1993. The guidelines recommend treating these children even if no focus of infection can be found. However, a 1995 study found that many primary care physicians were not following the guidelines. If a feverish child is not obviously ill and no focus of infection can be found, it may be more appropriate to withhold antibiotic treatment and schedule follow-up appointments.