In Covid surveillance for non co-morbid condition any temperature of _____ or greater is considered as fever?

Appeared in: Maharashtra CHO - 2020

Explanation

A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is the widely accepted clinical standard for defining a fever in adults.
This threshold is consistently used by public health organizations, including for screening and surveillance of infectious diseases like COVID-19.
Fever represents an elevation of the body's hypothalamic set point, which is a common physiological response to pyrogens such as viruses or bacteria.
Temperatures below this cutoff are generally considered within the normal or sub-febrile range.

Option A: A temperature of 97°F is at the lower end of the normal body temperature range and does not indicate a fever.
Option B: A temperature of 98.7°F is slightly higher than the average normal temperature of 98.6°F but is still considered within the normal, afebrile range.
Option C: A temperature of 98°F is well within the accepted normal range for human body temperature and does not signify a fever.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definition of fever and temperature thresholds in a clinical setting as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Accurately identifying fever using the 100.4°F threshold is a critical first step in screening for infectious diseases, enabling timely isolation and infection control measures.
Nurses play a key role in educating patients that while 98.6°F is an 'average' temperature, a range is normal, and a fever is specifically defined as 100.4°F or higher.
What if? If the patient were elderly or immunocompromised, their febrile response might be blunted. In such cases, a lower temperature (e.g., 99.5°F) that is a significant change from their baseline could be clinically important and warrant further investigation.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the specific temperature that defines a fever for public health surveillance.
Recall the standard clinical values for normal body temperature and the threshold for fever. The average normal is around 98.6°F (37°C), but the range extends up to about 99.5°F (37.5°C).
Evaluate the given options. Note that 97°F, 98.7°F, and 98°F all fall within the normal physiological range.
Select the option that represents the established cutoff for pyrexia (fever), which is a key value to memorize for clinical practice.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Definition of fever and temperature thresholds in a clinical setting.
Stem keywords: Covid surveillance, temperature, fever
Lead-in keywords: or greater is considered as
Negative lead-in flag: false

quQ_f5QLMJKm6Fheds7Jh

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 3 p. 11-13

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 175-177

Practise the full Maharashtra CHO - 2020

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.