title: A 12-month fever surveillance study in a veterans' long-stay institution.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario