Question: Does the magnitude of the temperature indicate the severity of the illness?
Answer:
No, there is no pathognomonic degree of fever that has been clearly associated with a specific risk of infection in patients, although before the widespread use of the Haemophilus influenzae vaccine, temperatures greater than 41.1°C were associated with a higher incidence of serious bacterial illness. In pediatrics medical decision making, the temperature should be used as only one piece of information in conjunction with many other factors.
Reference: Baraff LJ: Fever without a source in infants and children. Ann Emerg Med Dec 36:6, 2000.
