A5V4d

Feverish illness in children
Sampling Refers to the way participants are selected for inclusion in a study.
Sampling frame A list or register of names that is used to recruit participants to a study.
Scottish Intercollegiate
Guidelines Network (SIGN)
Secondary care Care provided in hospitals.
Selection bias Selection bias has occurred if:
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SIGN was established in 1993 to sponsor and support the development of
evidence-based clinical guidelines for the NHS in Scotland.
the characteristics of the sample differ from those of the wider population
from which the sample has been drawn, or
there are systematic differences between comparison groups of patients
in a study in terms of prognosis or responsiveness to treatment.
Selection criteria Explicit standards used by guideline development groups to decide which
studies should be included and excluded from consideration as potential
sources of evidence.
Semi-structured interview Structured interviews involve asking people pre-set questions. A semistructured
interview allows more flexibility than a structured interview. The
interviewer asks a number of open-ended questions, following up areas of
interest in response to the information given by the respondent.
Sensitivity In diagnostic testing, sensitivity refers to the chance of having a positive test
result given that you have the disease. 100% sensitivity means that all those
with the disease will test positive, but this is not the same the other way
around. A patient could have a positive test result but not have the disease –
this is called a ‘false positive’. The sensitivity of a test is also related to its
negative predictive value (true negatives) – a test with a sensitivity of 100%
means that all those who get a negative test result do not have the disease. To
fully judge the accuracy of a test, its specificity must also be considered.
Septic Affected by bacterial infection; hence septic shock, septic arthritis, etc.
Septicaemia A serious medical condition in which there is rapid multiplication of bacteria in
the bloodstream and in which bacterial toxins are present in the blood.
Septicaemia is usually fatal unless treated promptly with parenteral antibiotics.
Shock A pathological condition that can suddenly affect the haemodynamic
equilibrium, usually manifested by failure to perfuse or oxygenate vital organs.
Sign A finding on physical examination of a patient that provides the clinician with an
objective indication of a particular diagnosis or disorder (cf. symptom).
Single-blind study A study in which either the subject (patient/participant) or the observer
(clinician/investigator) is not aware of which treatment or intervention the
subject is receiving.
Social cues A child’s response to social interaction with a parent or health professional,
such response to their name, smiling and/or giggling.
Specific indication When a drug or a device has a specific remit to treat a specific condition and is
not licensed for use in treating other conditions or diseases.
Specificity In diagnostic testing, specificity refers to the chance of having a negative test
result given that you do not have the disease. 100% specificity means that all
those without the disease will test negative, but this is not the same the other
way around. A patient could have a negative test result yet still have the
disease – this is called a ‘false negative’. The specificity of a test is also related
to its positive predictive value (true positives) – a test with a specificity of 100%
means that all those who get a positive test result definitely have the disease.
To fully judge the accuracy of a test, its sensitivity must also be considered.