Fever Panel Basic

A fever panel test refers to a number of diagnostic tests that are done to identify the cause behind fever and other symptoms. It often consists of blood and urine tests that aim to diagnose the conditions such as malaria, dengue or typhoid that may be the underlying cause of fever. Using the result of the fever test, the doctors are able to take further steps to stop or prevent the progression of the disease. This test is advised for those suffering from chronic fever to identify the cause and get treated accordingly.

Test preparation: Avoid eating or drinking anything for at least 8-10 hours prior to the blood test. You may, however, drink water to avoid dehydration. Inform your doctor if you are taking any medicine beforehand.

Fever panel test need blood and urine samples along with a temperature check.

Fever makes a person feel very uncomfortable and irritated. A person should opt for a fever panel test if he/sheis experiencing the following symptoms associated with feverfor more than two days:

• Hot skin
• Chills
• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• Body aches
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive sweating
• Feeling dizzy
• Lethargy
• Increased sensitivity to pain

Fever is a temporary rise in the body temperature, often due to an illness. Fever is a signal that there is something out of the ordinary is going on in the body. It is a consequence of an underlying condition such as infection. Hypothalamus is the centre of the brain which maintains the body temperature to a set point. The normal body temperature varies from 36-37.5°C (97^o F to 99^o F). When there is an infection, the hypothalamus resets the body to a higher temperature.

It is very important to rule all the exact cause of fever and start the treatment accordingly, there are many reasons that may cause a fever such as infection, heat exhaustion, COVID-19, vaccines and immunizations, cancer, malaria, etc.

You may need a fever test for the following reasons: A fever test helps you in detecting serious illnesses like malaria, dengue or typhoid. Early detection of malaria or dengue through fever profile further helps in timely treatment and recovery. If you treat a serious health condition like malaria on time, you can save the extra expenditure required for treatment at advanced stages of the disease.

This test is also done to identify the virus/parasite causing the fever.

Interpretation:

 

Since a fever test includes a number of tests, there is no single result that you can expect. Each test has different parameters to interpret the results.

• High neutrophil count is usually suggestive of bacterial infection 
• High lymphocyte count may be due to viral infection 
• Positive Widal test is indicative of Typhoid fever 
• Presence of malarial parasite on peripheral smear indicates infection with malaria 
• The results of urine routine and microscopy is suggestive whether fever is due to urinary tract infection (UTI) or not 

To know more about the fever test and their result interpretation, it is always best to seek consultation from health experts.