Fever of unknown origin in the elderly is a diagnostic challenge

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fever of unknown origin in the elderly is a diagnostic challenge

AU - Zajworoniuk-Wlodarczyk, Jolanta

AU - Drozdowska, Joanna

AU - Pedersen, Hanne

AU - Carlsen, Tina Lindenskov

AU - Juncher, Annie

AU - Holm, Ellen

PY - 2013/11/18

Y1 - 2013/11/18

N2 - Elderly individuals often have different causes of fever of unknown origin compared to young persons. While infections dominate in the young, system diseases like temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, malignancy and drug fever are common causes in the elderly. The symptoms may be blunted with lack of fever. Co-morbidities may complicate, dominate, and confuse the clinical impression. In the diagnostic work-up it is important to consider other co-morbidities and overall frailty. Patients should be informed and their wishes taken into account in the early phase of planning diagnostic work-up and treatment.

AB - Elderly individuals often have different causes of fever of unknown origin compared to young persons. While infections dominate in the young, system diseases like temporal arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica, malignancy and drug fever are common causes in the elderly. The symptoms may be blunted with lack of fever. Co-morbidities may complicate, dominate, and confuse the clinical impression. In the diagnostic work-up it is important to consider other co-morbidities and overall frailty. Patients should be informed and their wishes taken into account in the early phase of planning diagnostic work-up and treatment.

M3 - Tidsskriftartikel

C2 - 24629385

SN - 0041-5782

VL - 175

SP - 2857

EP - 2860

JO - Ugeskrift for Laeger

JF - Ugeskrift for Laeger

IS - 47

ER -