Korean J Fam Med.  2018 Sep;39(5):318-321. 10.4082/kjfm.17.0118.

Best Practice for Prolonged Fever in Primary Care Setting: Close Follow-Up or Empiric Antibiotic Therapy?

• Sandoughi
• Fazeli SA
• Naseri-Ramroudi F
• Barzkar F

• KMID: 2422113
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.17.0118

Abstract

The management of prolonged fever in low-socioeconomic-status areas by primary care providers such as general practitioners is challenging. Given the endemic nature of many infectious diseases, physicians typically start empirical antibiotic therapy following a limited diagnostic workup including serologic examinations. Herein, we report the case of a young male patient with prolonged fever and arthralgia initially diagnosed with and treated for brucellosis but with a confirmed diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus on follow-up. This unique case shows that close follow-up is the best practice for managing prolonged fever in cases with non-specific laboratory findings.

Keyword

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Brucellosis; Fever

MeSH Terms

Arthralgia
Brucellosis
Communicable Diseases
Diagnosis
Fever*
Follow-Up Studies*
General Practitioners
Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Male
Practice Guidelines as Topic*
Primary Health Care*