Objectives: To assess the diagnostic utility of clinical features in the major diagnostic categories of Fever of unknown origin (FUO). Methods: One hundred and thirty-three patients meeting the classic criteria of FUO were included in the study. A structured diagnostic protocol was used in all cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPVs), and likelihood ratios of positive and negative tests (LR+ and LR-) were estimated with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all clinical findings. Results: Clinical and epidemiologic features with best diagnostic utility indexes for the three major diagnostic categories were: weight loss of 15 pounds or more (
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.