Abstract

Objective: In this study we aimed to investigate the etiology of patients admitted with fever (>37.2°C axillary) to our clinic and to evaluate their results. 

Methods: 88 patients admitted to hospital to evaluate the etiologies of fever were retrospectively investigated. Those requiring intensive care unit admission were excluded from the study. Based on the history, physical examination, laboratory and radiological investigations, we determined duration of fever, underlying risk factors, symptoms and signs, and diagnostic tools. 

Results: The mean age of the patients was 48, with 42 (48%) female. The mean duration of fever at admission was eight days. The most common symptoms accompanying fever were nausea and vomiting (27.2%), fatigue (20.4%), and headache (19.3%). Laboratory evaluation revealed increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high C-reactive protein in 44.3%, and leukocytosis in 31.8% of patients. We diagnosed acute meningitis (26.1%), urinary tract infection (UTI, 18%), and pneumonia (9%) in decreasing orders of frequency. 

Conclusions: In our study we investigated the patients with fever not requiring intensive care unit stay, and observed that the most commonly encountered diagnoses were acute meningitis, UTI, pneumonia, and upper respiratory tract infections.