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fever in the elderly

Clinical significance: Baseline temperature is generally lower in elderly patients. Thus often elderly patients with fever do not meet criteria for fever in younger patients. Some definitions for elderly patients include: 1) an increase in temperature of 2 degrees F above baseline 2) oral temperature above 99 degrees F 3) rectal temperature above 99.5 degrees F Fever may be absent in as many as 50% of elderly with serious infection [2].

Related

infections in the elderly

General

geriatric disorder; disease of old age; geriatric syndrome fever

References

  1. Norman D. In: Intensive Course in Geriatric Medicine & Board Review, Marina Del Ray, CA, Sept 12-15, 2001
  2. High KP et al, Clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation of fever and infection in older adult residents of long-term care facilities: 2008 update by the Infectious Disease Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2009, 48:149 PMID: 19072244
  3. Geriatric Review Syllabus, 8th edition (GRS8) Durso SC and Sullivan GN (eds) American Geriatrics Society, 2013