Etiología del síndrome febril prolongado en niños

Abstract

Background: Prolonged fever (PF) is an uncommon entity in children, produced by diverse etiologies that differ according to geographic areas and national socioeconomical status. Objective: To determine etiologic diagnosis of PF in children from the southeast area of Santiago. Methods: A prospective-descriptive study performed in 35 patients with PF, age between 6 months - 15 years, referred to the Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Unit of Hospital Sótero del Rio during 2005 and 2006. Results: In 74% of cases an etiologic diagnosis was established, predominantly infectious diseases (68%) and rheumatologic disorders (6%). The most frequent infections observed were Bartonella henselae (17%o), urinary tract infection (11%) and Epstein Barr virus infection (5.7%). Conclusions: PF in children from the southeast area of Santiago is caused by multiple etiologies, mainly infections with a high incidence of Bartonella henselae. © 2008 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría.