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Aim: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the European Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine guideline define fever as a temperature >38.0°C for all ages and recommend use of rectal thermometers in children <3 years. Based on new literature, this definition of fever using a fixed threshold of 38.0°C needs to be re‐examined. Design: A multi‐site diagnostic accuracy study was conducted to compare an "age‐based" threshold model with a "fixed" threshold over 38.0°C on a total of 894 patients of which 373 were ill. Methods: The "age‐based" and "fixed" threshold fever determinations were then compared to a clinical categorization ("well" or "ill") conducted by a clinician through a comprehensive examination. Results: The sensitivity and accuracy for the age‐based thresholds were found to be superior to the fixed thresholds in all ages and current ear thermometers were found equivalent to rectal thermometers in infants <6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury exposure from broken thermometers is still common in China. Here, we report a 2-year-old girl with elevated mercury concentrations in her blood and urine due to improper debridement after pricked by a broken thermometer. She underwent the first debridement at a local hospital, but radiographs showed a dot-like mercury deposit turned into multiple dispersed beads in her wrist tissue. Although the patient had no signs or symptoms of mercury poisoning, her blood and urinary mercury concentrations were significantly elevated. Several radio-opaque densities remained in her hand until a second debridement. At 2 years follow-up, her mercury concentrations in blood and urine and her hand radiograph were normal. Careful debridement after injury by broken thermometer is important in order to remove mercury in tissues and to prevent its dispersion and further absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]