Definition
In 1961 Petersdorf and Beeson suggested the following criteria:
- Fever higher than 38.3°C (101°F) on several occasions
- Persisting without diagnosis for at least 3 weeks
- At least 1 week's investigation in hospital
A new definition which includes the outpatient setting (which reflects current medical practice) is broader, stipulating:
- 3 outpatient visits or
- 3 days in the hospital without elucidation of a cause or
- 1 week of "intelligent and invasive" ambulatory investigation.
Presently FUO cases are codified in four subclasses.
Read more about this topic: Fever Of Unknown Origin
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