Beyond intuition: patient fever symptom experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Patient Experience Studies
• Symptomology

Background:

• Fever is a key inflammation indicator, yet patient-reported symptom data are scarce.
• Traditional fever symptoms (chills, diaphoresis, malaise) lack robust empirical support.
• Existing literature often oversimplifies the complex patient experience of fever.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the patient experience of fever symptoms.
• To inform the preliminary development of a fever assessment questionnaire.
• To capture a comprehensive understanding of fever manifestations from the patient's perspective.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews with 28 inpatients (86% with cancer) experiencing fever (temperature ≥38°C).
• Semi-structured interview guide to elicit detailed patient fever experiences.
• Thematic analysis by three independent researchers with consensus building for data verification.

Main Results:

• Eleven distinct themes of fever experiences emerged from patient interviews.
• Reported symptoms included feeling cold, warmth, weakness, sweating, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues.
• Novel findings include nonspecific bodily sensations, emotional changes, achiness, respiratory symptoms, and vivid dreams/hallucinations.

Conclusions:

• Patient experiences reveal fever symptoms beyond those traditionally documented.
• Findings highlight significant variability and complexity in fever symptomology.
• This research enhances understanding of fever, guiding improved symptom assessment and antipyretic treatment evaluation.