Ella, an 8-Year-Old Girl with 2 Weeks of Fever

Abstract

CASE PRESENTATION A pediatrician in your community calls to request a direct admission for Ella, an 8-year-old girl who has had 2 weeks of fever in the setting of recent international travel. Her pediatrician reports that Ella has been having daily fevers to 40 °C (104 °F), prompting 2 visits to the office during that time. Ella has also had intermittent, crampy abdominal pain for the last 2 or 3 days. Ella’s pediatrician ordered outpatient laboratory tests last week, but her family was unable to have them done because of transportation barriers. The pediatrician asks you to admit Ella to expedite the evaluation of her fever of unknown origin (FUO).