Which term describes fever that remains elevated and does not return to baseline?

Which term describes fever that remains elevated and does not return to baseline?

• A. Intermittent fever
• B. Remittent fever
• C. Constant fever
• D. Fever of unknown origin

Answer: (B)

Fever patterns describe how temperature changes over time. When fever stays above normal and never fully returns to baseline within a day, clinicians call it remittent fever. It means the temperature remains elevated but fluctuates—you’ll see rises and falls, yet it doesn’t settle back to normal. This contrasts with intermittent fever, where temperatures spike and then return to baseline between episodes. Constant (continuous) fever stays above baseline with little fluctuation. Fever of unknown origin isn’t a pattern of temperature change; it’s a category for prolonged fever with no diagnosis after evaluation. So, the description of fever that remains elevated and does not return to baseline aligns with remittent fever.

Fever patterns describe how temperature changes over time. When fever stays above normal and never fully returns to baseline within a day, clinicians call it remittent fever. It means the temperature remains elevated but fluctuates—you’ll see rises and falls, yet it doesn’t settle back to normal. This contrasts with intermittent fever, where temperatures spike and then return to baseline between episodes. Constant (continuous) fever stays above baseline with little fluctuation. Fever of unknown origin isn’t a pattern of temperature change; it’s a category for prolonged fever with no diagnosis after evaluation. So, the description of fever that remains elevated and does not return to baseline aligns with remittent fever.