Identifying the thresholds of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and interleukin-6 among children ≤36 months’ old with fever without source at risk of serious bacterial infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Frontiers in Pediatrics 2026 Open access

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Authors: Natalia Sutiman, Jiaying Lin, Rehena Sultana, Sarah Hui Wen Yao, Sharon Si Min Goh, Suzanne-Kae Rocknathan, Sashikumar Ganapathy, Shu‐Ling Chong
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2026.1697210
Cited by: 0
References: 68

Abstract

Introduction: Management of children ≤36 months of age presenting with fever without source remains a challenge because the underlying aetiologies may range from self-limiting viral infections to serious bacterial infections (SBIs) including bacteraemia, urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, osteomyelitis, or septic arthritis. This systematic review was conducted to determine the thresholds at which C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) can predict SBIs in this population. Methods: -value 40 mg/L had the highest pooled specificity 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.95). A PCT cut-off of

Fields of Study & Subjects

Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment Inflammation biomarkers and pathways Neonatal and Maternal Infections

Publication details

Journal / source
Frontiers in Pediatrics
Volume
14
Pages
1697210–1697210
Publication date
26 February 2026
Language
EN