Have an elderly patient with mild presenting symptoms such as a cough or dysuria? No fever? Did you obtain a CBC and there is no leukocytosis? Do not chalk it up to a simple self-limiting etiology so fast…

In the elderly, fever and leukocytosis can be absent when a serious infection such as pneumonia or pyelonephritis is present. You want to ensure you perform a thorough evaluation and consider doing additional testing such as a chest x-ray, UA, or further labwork in your elderly patients. It is critical these infections are treated early and ACCURATELY to prevent serious complications in the elderly. Remember though, you are treating the PATIENT, not numbers… So, always use your best clinical judgement.