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A 12‐Month Fever Surveillance Study in a Veterans' Long‐Stay Institution
Author(s) -
Finnegan Terence P.,
Austin Thomas W.,
Cape Ronald D. T.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1985.tb06314.x
Subject(s) - medicine , urinary system , respiratory tract infections , streptococcus pneumoniae , proteus mirabilis , respiratory tract , intensive care medicine , respiratory system , antibiotics , pseudomonas aeruginosa , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , biology
This report describes a 12‐month fever surveillance survey in a 258‐bed veterans long‐term care institution. There were 128 episodes of fever (one episode per 24 patient‐months); 114 were studied. Lower respiratory tract infections were most frequent, 36 (32%), with 26 (23%) urinary tract infections. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common pathogen in the chest infections and Proteus mirabilis the most common of the urinary tract infections. In 40 (35%) there was no evidence of a lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, or other bacterial infection. Most recovered rapidly, many with no specific treatment. There was a 16% mortality associated with the febrile episodes.