Gary Samson Posted 7 February , 2004 Share Posted 7 February , 2004 A while ago I remember seeing an explanation in one of the forums for the medical condition or disability PUO. I've now come across one of my men who was returned to the UK with this condition and for the life of me I can't remember what it stands for. A search on this site fails as keywords need to comprise at least four characters. Can anyone help me out here? Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 7 February , 2004 Share Posted 7 February , 2004 Hi Gary Pyrexia of Unknown Origin ( generally a fever ) Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 7 February , 2004 Share Posted 7 February , 2004 Gary, I have forgotten what the P stands for but the U & O stands for 'Unknown Origin'. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 7 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2004 Thanks guys! Gary PS. I've just remembered the list of abbreviations Chris compiled for the main site and, of course, PUO appears there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 7 February , 2004 Share Posted 7 February , 2004 Typically, it is a prolonged period of fever (ie lasting more than a few days) where the cause is not some readily identifiable infection, such as pneumonia. TB was a common cause of PUO. It can also occur with some cancers, notably lymphomas (cancers of the lymph system) that may arise in younger people, and as a reaction to certain drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 7 February , 2004 Share Posted 7 February , 2004 I should add that the disability aspect does not relate to the fever as such. This is usually a low-grade fever. It will reflect the general debility that accompanies the inflammatory or malignant process that is generating the fever as a secondary reaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 8 February , 2004 Share Posted 8 February , 2004 Siegfried Sassoon fancied it stood for Perfectly Undamaged Officer, while contemplating the ticket attached to his uniform by the medics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted 8 February , 2004 Share Posted 8 February , 2004 It can also occur with some cancers, notably lymphomas (cancers of the lymph system) that may arise in younger people, and as a reaction to certain drugs. Robert I note that you mention PUO can occur with some cancers. My granddad was recorded as having PUO in 1919 whilst he was still serving, he later died of Cancer in 1958, is it possible that there could be a link between the two? Regards Dee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 8 February , 2004 Share Posted 8 February , 2004 I don't think so in your grandad's case, Dee. The PUO occurs while the cancer is growing. Your grandad will only have developed the cancer a few years (depending on the type) before he died - it would not have been present in 1919. Most likely, he had a low grade infection of some description. In the days before antibiotics, there was a greater risk of infections persisting. A likely cause would be if he was wounded and infection occured deep inside the wound. Sometimes, this is not very apparent from the outside but the body reacts with a fever. There are some other unusual infections, such as Brucellosis, that can cause this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now