title: Low-grade and high-grade fever at presentation of acute pulmonary embolism.
abstract: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 154 consecutive patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) admitted to an Internal Medicine Service. At presentation, fever (temperature > 37 degrees C) without other identified causes was present in 28 patients (18.2%): 27 patients had low-grade fever (temperature 37-39 degrees C) and one patient had high-grade fever (temperature > 39 degrees C). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics, electrocardiographic and chest radiograph abnormalities and mortality rate were similar in patients with and without fever. Fever, including high-grade fever, is a possible presenting feature in patients with acute PE. Patients with acute PE and fever have similar characteristics compared with those without fever.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Hospital de Zafra, Zafra (Badajoz), Badajoz, Spain. jmcromero@eresmas.com
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Calvo-Romero
authors.forename: Esther María
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lima-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Miranda
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bureo-Dacal
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies