Unexplained persistent fever: When to see a doctor?

Unexplained persistent fever is a warning sign of many serious health problems. Therefore, patients should go to the doctor early to get an accurate diagnosis and have the most active and effective treatment.

Fever is a rapid rise in body temperature caused by certain diseases. Fevers are usually short-lived. Prolonged high fever in adults can occur when the body encounters some dangerous diseases.
Prolonged fever is a common syndrome with the following characteristics: The most prominent pathological sign is fever, accompanied by faint symptoms or no symptoms; fever lasting at least 2 weeks without an accurate diagnosis; Treatment with antibiotics and antipyretic drugs was not effective.
Persistent fever with no cause is defined as:
Patient's body temperature is consistently above 38.2°C at any point in time; fever persists for at least 3 weeks; Clinical and laboratory tests were performed within 1 week of hospital stay, but no cause could be found. The diagnosis of persistent fever is sometimes very complicated even in conditions equipped with modern technical means.
Common causes of persistent fever of unknown cause are infections (tuberculosis, mononucleosis, cat scratch fever, Lyme disease,...). In some studies, about 20% of cases of unexplained fever were caused by cancer, mainly blood cancer, bile duct cancer, liver cancer, and kidney cancer. Approximately 20% of cases of fever of unknown cause are determined to be due to acute endocarditis, valvular inflammation, etc. Sometimes, antibiotics are the culprits that cause a persistent fever of unknown etiology. core.

In addition to fever lasting more than 3 weeks, patients may also experience accompanying symptoms including:
Sweating, chills; Low blood pressure, tachycardia, rapid breathing; Headache, stiff neck, mental dysfunction; Sore throat, cough; Muscle pain; Cough, sinus congestion; Anorexia, fatigue, pale skin.

Cases where you should go to the doctor when you have a fever include:
Having the above symptoms; Fever lasting more than 3 days, especially in the absence of any accompanying symptoms; In patients with diabetes, heart valve problems, HIV infection or immune-related diseases: See a doctor even if you have persistent low-grade fever and fatigue; For infants under 3 months of age: When fever is 38°C or higher, seek medical attention immediately; For children aged 3 - 36 months, should seek medical attention if the body temperature is 38.8°C or higher, the fever persists for more than 3 days, the fever is accompanied by a rash, or the fever is above 37.7°C with loss of appetite. Patients with persistent fever should go to the doctor soon to be assigned to perform clinical tests to help detect the disease early and treat effectively.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that not only ensures professional quality with a team of leading medical doctors, modern equipment and technology, but also stands out for its examination and consultation services. comprehensive and professional medical consultation and treatment; civilized, polite, safe and sterile medical examination and treatment space.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.

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What is a persistent fever in children? How should it be handled? Fever over 38 degrees prolonged, what to do? How many days does viral fever in adults last? Do you need to go to the hospital?