Fever duration in hospitalized acute pyelonephritis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study persistence of fever in treated pyelonephritis with respect to guidelines recommending investigation and modification of therapy after 2 to 3 days of fever.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was made of 70 patients hospitalized for febrile pyelonephritis at a community hospital in Canada.


RESULTS
Median duration of fever was 34 hours; persistence of fever at 48 and 72 hours was 26% and 13%, respectively. No patients had complications such as intrarenal or perirenal abscess. Prolonged fever was independently associated with increasing baseline creatinine (P = 0.0001), younger age (P = 0.027), and increasing total leukocyte count (P = 0.026). Results of ultrasonography and intravenous urograms were not predictors of fever duration.


CONCLUSIONS
Fever in treated pyelonephritis can take 4 days to resolve, and routine urologic investigation after 2 to 3 days of fever may be unwarranted.
Behr
M A
MA
Department of Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Drummond
R
R
Libman
M D
MD
Delaney
J S
JS
Dylewski
J S
JS
D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors