Identifies febrile infants ≤60 days at LOW risk of serious bacterial infection. All criteria must be met.
The Rochester Criteria (Febrile Infant) is a infectious scoring tool used in paediatric practice. Identifies febrile infants ≤60 days at LOW risk of serious bacterial infection. All criteria must be met. It scores 7 criteria and interprets the total across 2 bands, so the number always arrives with the severity it implies rather than on its own. In PediAid each criterion is shown as a labelled option with the weight it carries, so the total can be checked rather than taken on trust.
7. They are Infant appears generally well; Previously healthy - term (≥37 wk), no perinatal antibiotics, no underlying disease, not hospitalised longer than mother; No skin, soft-tissue, bone, joint or ear infection on examination; WBC 5 000-15 000 /µL; Absolute band count ≤ 1 500 /µL; Urine ≤ 10 WBC per high-power field; and others.
The total is interpreted as: any score - NOT low risk: one or more low-risk criteria are not met - this infant is NOT low risk. Full sepsis evaluation, empirical antibiotics and admission per local protocol; 7 low-risk criteria met or more - Low risk: all criteria met - low risk of serious bacterial infection (negative predictive value ≈98.9%). Some protocols permit observation without empirical antibiotics; always follow local guidance and ensure reliable follow-up.
No. It is a structured way to record and communicate severity. A clinician concerned about a child should act on that concern regardless of the total.
ALL criteria must be satisfied to call an infant low risk - a partial count is not meaningful.
Yes. Score definitions are bundled with the PediAid app, so the score computes without a connection.