Clinical Characteristics and Causes of Acute Undifferentiated Fever in Children.

Background: Acute undifferentiated fever (AUF) remains a significant reason for hospitalization among children, particularly in Southeast Asia. Common causative agents include dengue, scrub typhus, murine typhus, leptospirosis, and enteric fever. This study aims to delineate the clinical and etiological profiles of AUF in children. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over one year in the Department of Pediatrics at a tertiary care hospital in Central India. The study enrolled children with fever lasting less than 21 days and without a specific focus of infection identified through history, physical examination, and routine investigations. Results: Among the 90 children included in the study, the most prevalent cause of undifferentiated fever was typhoid fever (31.1%), followed by malaria (21.1%), dengue fever (18.9%), and urinary tract infections (10%). Other notable causes included acute gastroenteritis (8.9%), pneumonia (5.6%), bronchiolitis (2.2%), hepatitis (1.1%), and pharyngotonsillitis (1.1%). Common clinical symptoms observed were pyrexia (100%), headache (65.6%), rash (47.8%), and abdominal pain (31.1%). Laboratory findings indicated mild anemia in the majority of cases, leukopenia in cases of dengue and malaria, and thrombocytopenia in dengue cases. Conclusion: Non-malarial infections are predominant causes of AUF in children within this region of Central India. Scrub typhus, dengue, and enteric fever were identified as significant contributors. The study underscores the necessity for improved diagnostic facilities to reduce the proportion of undiagnosed fevers, often assumed to be viral in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]