Most acutely ill children suffer from self-limiting illnesses requiring little medical intervention.1 However, prompt recognition of the few children with a serious infection (SI), such as sepsis, meningitis and pyelonephritis, is essential to avoid complications or death2: the mortality of meningococcal disease can be as high as 14%, and up to 19% of children who survive bacterial meningitis suffer from hearing loss, amputations or neurodevelopmental disorders.

Most acutely ill children suffer from self-limiting illnesses requiring little medical intervention.1 However, prompt recognition of the few children with a serious infection (SI), such as sepsis, meningitis and pyelonephritis, is essential to avoid complications or death2: the mortality of meningococcal disease can be as high as 14%, and up to 19% of children who survive bacterial meningitis suffer from hearing loss, amputations or neurodevelopmental disorders.