Warnings That Signal Serious Illness in Children

Abstract

INFECTION IS AN important source of mortality in children in developed countries. In children aged 1–4 years, infections account for 20% of childhood deaths (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health, 2008). In developed countries, every child will come to his or her health care provider, on average, more than once a year with the symptoms of an infection (Van den Bruel, Haj-Hassen, Thompson, Buntinx, & Mant, 2010). Clinicians in primary care settings are often faced with the challenge of recognizing serious illness in children.