Bibliographic information
Recommendation
Management of serious bacterial infections in infants aged 0–59 days. In young infants aged 0–59 days, the WHO 7-sign integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) algorithm is recommended for the identification of infants with possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI) who require further evaluation or treatment. https://iris.who.int/ handle/10665/326448
Recommended in favor
Strong
Certainty of evidence
Moderate
Notes and Remarks
Remarks ■ The recommendation was based on two studies that recruited a total of 9284 infants aged 0–59 days from primary health care (PHC) clinics and other outpatient settings in Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Ghana, India, Pakistan and South Africa. Both studies used physician judgement of possible sepsis as the reference standard. One included laboratory testing. Both studies assessed the 7-sign IMCI algorithm. Both studies assessed diagnoses by community health workers (CHWs) and health workers. ■ Overall, the GDG considered that both the sensitivity and specificity of the WHO 7-sign IMCI algorithm were sufficient for the diagnosis of sepsis in young infants: ― aged 0–59 days: sensitivity 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77 to 0.82) and specificity 0.77 (95% CI: 0.76 to 0.78); ― aged 0–6 days: sensitivity 0.84 (95% CI: 0.81 to 0.87) and specificity 0.78 (95% CI: 0.76 to 0.79); and ― aged 7–59 days: sensitivity 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68 to 0.81) and specificity 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73 to 0.84).