Clinical Uncertainty in Fever

Unnecessary antibiotic use contributes to antimicrobial resistance and increases healthcare costs. Clinical uncertainty can cause severe illness to be missed, leading to disability or death. Clinical uncertainty can also lead to unnecessary admission, invasive or risky investigations, and presumptive antibiotic treatment in lower-risk patients. Hospital clinicians often assess suspected infection before the cause is clear while needing to make treatment, admission, discharge, investigation, or escalation decisions.