Letters to the Editor

Abstract

We appreciate Dr. Woodward's thoughtful comments. We agree that pediatricians should "observe children with elevated temperatures" and not just elevated acutephase reactants. In an article to be published soon,¹ we have recommended that, in most instances, history and physical examination are sufficient to evaluate febrile children. In children at risk for more serious illness because of height of fever, age, or results of the history and physical examination, use of white blood count (WBC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is, in our experience, helpful.