Red flags for identifying children with serious infections
News release from NETSCC, HTA
03 February 2010
Research published in the Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2962000-6/fulltext) emphasises the particular need for Doctors to take note of parental concern, one of several red flags that can indicate a serious childhood infection. The review funded by the NIHR HTA programme identified a set of warning signs – or red flags – that can be used routinely by doctors to help spot children that may have a serious infection
Serious infections like meningitis, pneumonia or sepsis are rare in developed countries and can be difficult to diagnose among the many children coming into GP surgeries, paediatric assessment units and emergency departments. Detecting serious infections rapidly improves prognosis by allowing appropriate actions to be taken, such as referral to hospital.
A European team led by researchers at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and Oxford University reviewed existing literature to put together a list of red flags to help identify serious infection in children.
“For doctors, it’s a bit like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Dr Matthew Thompson of the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford, a co-author of the study. “Serious infections are rare and getting increasingly rarer thanks to vaccinations. Identifying that one child out of all those with minor ailments is difficult. It is complicated further as the child may be seen at any early stage of infection before it is possible to recognise its severity.”
The researchers identified rapid breathing, poor blood circulation of the skin and extremities, and rashes of small purple red spots as red flags. Parental concern and clinician instinct were also highlighted as strong warning signs.
The full results of this study will publish in HTA journal series in 2011 for more details visit www.hta.ac.uk/1751.
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Notes for editors
1. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme commissions research about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest NIHR programme and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with over 530 issues published to date. The journal’s 2009 Impact Factor (6.91) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk
2. The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk
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