title: Fever presentation and associated factors in patients with healthcare-associated bacteraemia.
abstract: Bacteraemia is a systemic infection associated with strong febrile immune reactions. Fever definitions, fever intensity and other factors might affect the recognition, management and prognosis of patients with bacteraemia. A prospective observational design was used to study 412 consecutive Taiwanese patients with healthcare-associated bacteraemia. The study variables were fever intensity, factors related to fever intensity, the association of physical function to thermogenic capacity and the sensitivity of three definitions of fever for identifying patients with bacteraemia. Age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score, chills and pathogen types were predictors of fever intensity. Barthel index score, CCI score and pathogen types were predictors of chills, an indicator of thermogenic capacity. The sensitivity of three fever definitions (basal body temperature plus 1°C, ≥ 38°C and ≥ 38.3°C) to identify patients with bacteraemia was 93.3%, 83.5% and 71.4%, respectively. Clinicians can target patients with factors associated with blunted febrile response to bacteraemia for closer monitoring.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Po-Jui
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Tzu
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Charlson comorbidity index; age; fever; healthcare-associated bacteraemia; pathogen types