Inter-observer variation in the assessment of clinical signs in sick Tanzanian children.

We assessed the inter-observer agreement in identification of a range of 24 clinical signs associated with disease presentation in 327 children aged 0.41) although there was only fair agreement (Kappa-score 0.21-0.40) in the detection of neck stiffness and chest indrawing and slight agreement in the detection of dehydration (Kappa-score 0.199). All objective neurological signs were less reliably assessed in infants than in older children. The difficulties surrounding the diagnosis of impaired consciousness in young children should increase vigilance in the diagnosis and management of neurological complications of illnesses in infancy.