title: Revised definition of 'fever of unknown origin': limitations and opportunities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The limitations and opportunities of revised definition of fevers of unknown origin (FUO) in comparison to conventional definition were investigated, and prehospital characteristics of the patients were detailed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were grouped according to both revised and classic definitions of FUO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-nine of the 80 patients (74%) met the conventional definition of FUO. Before their admissions, all patients had at least one course of antibiotic therapy. The aetiology was infectious in 52%, autoimmune in 19%, and neoplastic in 17%. In 12% of the cases, the reason for high fever could not be explained. The most common infectious aetiologies were various forms of tuberculosis (12%), brucellosis (12%), salmonella (7%) and malaria (5%). The revised definition inflated the rate of infectious aetiology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A standardized set of diagnostic tools used in this study was suggested. The subjects of FUO series have to be screened for endemic infections.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. oergonul@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergönül
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Willke
authors.forename: Alpay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azap
authors.forename: Emin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tekeli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology