Table 3 Selection criteria of the single studies

Chen et al. 2008

Febrile infants < 3 months with suspected serious bacterial infection (SBI): UTI, pneumonia, positive CSF or blood colture.

Not disclosed.

Carrol et al. 2009

Children with suspected Serious Bacterial Infection (meningitides or Pneumonia) of a Malawian Hospital.

Age: 2 months–16 years.

Significant co-existing morbidity.

Sarafidis et al. 2010

Admission to a NICU of a single university hospital for suspected Late Onset Sepsis (LOS) >3 days.

Mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis; early-onset sepsis; congenital infections or anomalies.

Kevan et al. 2011

Pediatric intestinal failure (IF) patients with central venous catheter (CVC) of a children hospital. Age: between 3 months and 4 years.

Small bowel, liver/small bowel, or multivisceral transplant; known underlying immune disorder; current diagnosis of infection other than CVC-BSI; immune suppressant medications or systemic antibiotics for more than 24 hours before inclusion.

Miedema et al. 2011

Febrile neutropenia and oncological underlying disease.

Not disclosed.

Arzanian et al. 2011

Fever >38 °C for at least one hour or >38,3° in a single measurement; absolute neutrophil count of less than 500/mm3.

Patients under treatment with GCSF; patients already on antibiotics before the beginning of fever and neutropenia except for prophylaxis.

Schlapbach et al. 2013

Neonates >34 weeks admitted within the first 72 h with suspicion of sepsis (Early onset sepsis).

Not disclosed.

Mazzucchelli et al. 2013

Gestational age younger than 32 weeks and/or birth weigh less than 1500 g free of infection.

Not disclosed.

Adly et al. 2014

Newborns with clinical and laboratory signs of sepsis.

Congenital infections; malformations; major chromosomal abnormalities; prior use of intravenous immunoglobulins.