Lack of fever in ESRD with S. aureus bacteremia is common
Background: Fever is a common symptom in patients presenting to the ED. In patients with hemodialysis-dependent ESRD, the literature on febrile response during infection is scarce. In this study, authors compared ED triage temperatures of S. aureus bacteremic patients with and without hemodialysis-dependent ESRD.
Study design: Paired, retrospective cohort study.
Setting: Tertiary care referral center.
Synopsis: A total of 74 patients with methicillin-resistant or methicillin-susceptible S. aureus bacteremia were included in this study (37 patients with and 37 patients without hemodialysis-dependent ESRD). Upon triage, 54% (95% confidence interval, 38%-70%) and 82% (95% CI, 65%-91%) of hemodialysis and nonhemodialysis patients did not have a detectable fever (less than 100.4° F), respectively. The estimated mean ED triage temperatures were 100.5° F in the hemodialysis-dependent patients and 99.0° F in the non–hemodialysis-dependent patients (P < .001). The authors note the significant lack of fevers may be the result of insensitive methods for measuring body temperature, such as peripheral thermometers.
Bottom line: In this small retrospective cohort study, these data suggest a high incidence of afebrile bacteremia in patients with ESRD, especially those patients not dialysis dependent. This may lead to delays in obtaining blood cultures and initiating antibiotics. However, given the study design, the authors were unable to conclude a causal relationship between ESRD and febrile response.
Citation: Weatherall SL et al. Do bacteremic patients with end-stage renal disease have a fever when presenting to the emergency department? A paired, retrospective cohort study. BMC Emerg Med. 2020;20:2.
Dr. Schmit is a hospitalist and associate professor of medicine at University of Texas Health, San Antonio.
