Fever in respiratory virus infections
A. Putto, O. Ruuskanen and O. Meurman
The case records of 258 children with adenovirus; influenza A or B virus;
parainfluenza 1, 2, or 3 virus; or respiratory syncytial virus infections
were studied retrospectively with special attention to the degree and
duration of fever. A temperature of 39.0 degrees C or higher was most
frequently recorded in adenovirus, influenza A, and influenza B virus
infections (in 68%, 84%, and 65%, respectively). The mean highest degree of
fever in respiratory virus infections (39.2 degrees C +/- 0.6 degrees C)
during hospitalization did not differ from that in defined serious
bacterial infections, ie, meningitis, epiglottitis, sepsis, and urinary
tract infections (39.3 degrees C +/- 0.7 degrees C). The mean duration of
fever varied from 2.5 days (parainfluenza 2) to 5.2 days (influenza B). Of
all children with respiratory virus infections, 37% had fever lasting five
days or longer. The data show that high and prolonged fever is frequently
associated with respiratory virus infections in hospitalized children and
that it does not differ significantly from fever in severe bacterial
infections.
