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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/185020
Host-Based Prognostic Biomarkers to Improve Risk Stratification and Outcome of Febrile Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
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"Fever is one of the leading causes for pediatric medical consultation and the most common symptom at clinical presentation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Most
febrile episodes are due to self-limited infections, but a small
proportion of children will develop life-threatening infections.
The early recognition of children who have or are progressing to
a critical illness among all febrile cases is challenging, and
there are currently no objective and quantitative tools to do
so. This results in increased morbidity and mortality among
children with impending life-threatening infections, whilst
contributing to the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics,
overwhelming health care facilities, and harm to patients
receiving avoidable antimicrobial treatment. Specific fever
origin is difficult to ascertain and co-infections in LMICs are
common. However, many severe infections share common pathways of
host injury irrespective of etiology, including immune and
endothelial activation that contribute to the pathobiology of
sepsis (i.e., pathogen \"agnostic\" mechanisms of disease).
Importantly, mediators of these pathways are independent markers
of disease severity and outcome. We propose that measuring
circulating levels of these factors can provide quantitative and
objective evidence to: enable early recognition of severe
infection; guide patient triage and management; enhance
post-discharge risk stratification and follow up; and mitigate
potential gender bias in clinical decisions. Here, we review the
clinical and biological evidence supporting the clinical utility
of host immune and endothelial activation biomarkers as
components of novel rapid triage tests, and discuss the
challenges and needs for developing and implementing such
tools."
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BALANZA LOMBARDIA, Núria, et al. Host-Based Prognostic Biomarkers to Improve Risk Stratification and Outcome of Febrile Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Frontiers in pediatrics. 2020. Vol. 8. ISSN 2296-2360. [consulted: 10 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/185020