Routine Blood Tests Outperform CRP for Distinguishing Bacterial From Viral Infection in Children
Acute infectious diseases are among the leading causes of medical consultations and hospitalizations in children worldwide. These infections are predominantly caused by viruses or bacteria, yet differentiating between the two remains a common clinical challenge. As a result, pediatricians often default to the safer option of prescribing antibiotics contributing to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. The objective is to assess the additional predictive value of CBC towards determining the current infection. This retrospective study used data from 906 pediatric patients aged between 2 and 14 years who were tested positive either for viral or bacterial infection between 2022 and...
| Authors | Mihaela Demireva, Zhecho Mitev, Djuna Chinareva-Klimentova et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.LG |
| Published | 18 September 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 18 September 2026 |
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