Pediatria pre prax 2/2007

FEVER AND NONSPECIFIC FEVER

Fever is not a disease, just a nonspecific manifestation, which may occur in many various pathological conditions. The main task for pediatricians is – in addition to rational antipyretic treatment – to establish an early diagnosis and indicate appropriate therapy to the affected child. A separate differential-diagnostic problem arises in cases, when despite a one-week lasting widespread evaluation the cause of the fever remains undiscovered („fever of unknown origin“, FUO). The recent paper points to frequent causes of FUO and provides rational clinical approach in such cases.

Keywords: fever, treatment, fever of unknown origin.