Chills

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The health care provider will take your medical history and perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include:

• Is it only a cold feeling?
• Are you actually shaking ?
• What has been the highest body temperature connected with the chills?
• Did the chills happen only once, or are there many separate occurrences (episodic)?
• How long does each attack last (for how many hours)?
• Did chills occur within 4 - 6 hours after exposure to something that you or your child are allergic to?
• Did they begin suddenly?
• Do they occur repeatedly? How often (how many days between episodes of chills)?
• What other symptoms are present?

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The physical examination may include emphasis on the skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, chest, and abdomen. Body temperature will likely be checked.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include the following:

• Blood (such as CBC or blood differential) and urine tests (such as urinalysis)
• Blood culture
• Sputum culture
• Urine culture
• X-ray of the chest

Treatment depends on how long the chills and accompanying symptoms (especially fever) have lasted.

Review Date: 01/31/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).