A 9-year-old, previously healthy and fully immunized boy is transferred to our children’s hospital from a community hospital with fever, tachycardia, and a 2-day history of severe pain of his upper back. The severity of his pain prompted 2 other health-care visits in the preceding days to a clinic and a community hospital emergency department. He was discharged both times with a diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain despite no compatible history. He presented to the local emergency department for a second time due to increasing severity of pain localized between his scapulae and new onset of tactile fever. Review of systems is negative for headache, shortness of breath, symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection, or weight loss, although it is positive for altered mental status (obtundation), photophobia, and back pain with movement. Travel history is notable for immigration from India 2 years earlier, with recent travel back to visit family...
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May 01 2023
Severe Back Pain and Fever in a 9-year-old Boy
Celine Conforti, MD;
Celine Conforti, MD
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
†Department of Paediatrics, and
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Carsten Krueger, MD;
Carsten Krueger, MD
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
†Department of Paediatrics, and
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Helen M. Branson, MBBS;
Helen M. Branson, MBBS
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
**Department of Medical Imaging, Temetry Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
‡Department of Diagnostic Imaging,
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David Manson, MD;
David Manson, MD
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
**Department of Medical Imaging, Temetry Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
‡Department of Diagnostic Imaging,
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Shaun K. Morris, MD;
Shaun K. Morris, MD
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
†Department of Paediatrics, and
§Division of Infectious Diseases
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Brie A. Yama, MD
Brie A. Yama, MD
*The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
†Department of Paediatrics, and
¶Division of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Pediatr Rev (2023) 44 (5): 286–289.
Citation
Celine Conforti, Carsten Krueger, Helen M. Branson, David Manson, Shaun K. Morris, Brie A. Yama; Severe Back Pain and Fever in a 9-year-old Boy. Pediatr Rev May 2023; 44 (5): 286–289. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2021-005170
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