Beyond Intuition: Quantifying and Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Fever

Background:

• Fever is a common symptom of illness, but it can involve many signs (a signal that something is not right in the body that can be seen by others, such as vomiting) and symptoms (a signal that something is not right in the body that are felt only by the person, such as pain) that may differ depending on the type of illness involved. Researchers are interested in studying individuals who have a fever to examine how often these signs and symptoms are experienced by patients.

Objectives:

• To identify and evaluate the signs and symptoms of fever and examine their frequency in individuals who have fever.

Eligibility:

• Individuals at least 8 years of age who are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center and have a fever (body temperature of at least 38 degrees Celsius/100.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Design:

• Participants will be screened upon admission to the NIH Clinical Center.
• Researchers will review the Clinical Center admission records.
• Participants will complete a 15- to 20-minute survey with questions about how they are feeling and what symptoms they have experienced before, during and after an episode of fever.