Revised definition of 'fever of unknown origin': limitations and opportunities

Aim. The limitations and opportunities of revised definition of fevers of unknown origin (FUO) in comparison to conventional definition were investigated, and prehospital characteristics of the patients were detailed. Method. The patients were grouped according to both revised and classic definitions of FUO. Results. Fifty-nine of the 80 patients (74%) met the conventional definition of FUO. Before their admissions, all patients had at least one course of antibiotic therapy. The aetiology was infectious in 52%, autoimmune in 19%, and neoplastic in 17%. In 12% of the cases, the reason for high fever could not be explained. The most common infectious aetiologies were various forms of tuberculosis (12%), brucellosis (12%), salmonella (7%) and malaria (5%). The revised definition inflated the rate of infectious aetiology. Conclusion. A standardized set of diagnostic tools used in this study was suggested. The subjects of FUO series have to be screened for endemic infections. (C) 2004 The British Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.