TO THE EDITOR: The article, "Diagno...

TO THE EDITOR: The article, "Diagnosing Night Sweats," (1) was based in succession a MEDLINE literature review from 1966 to July 2001 As a end the authors' literature search missed our studious mood (2) of the epidemiology of night sweats in primary care that was published in 2002 There also has been at least undivided other relevant epidemiologic study 3) that was not mentioned in their article. (1)

Based in succession our published and unpublished be the effects it appears that the classic definition of night sweats "does not describe the majority of patients who may complain of the symptom." (2) Night sweats are commonly experienced on primary care patients who, for unclear reasons, rarely mention them to their primary care physician flat when they become severe and bothersome. The mostly common causes of night sweats have notwithstanding to be elucidated and, therefore, the appropriate evaluation of patients with this symptom is unclear. Given the flat of our collective ignorance, many of the recommendations made by the agency of the authors (1) seem reasonable, however.

JAMES W MOLD MD MPH

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

PO enclosed seat [i]or[/i] seats 26901

900 Northeast 10th St

Oklahoma City, OK 73190

REFERENCES

(1) Viera AJ, influence MM, Yates SW. Diagnosing night sweats. Am Fam Physician 2003;67:1019-24

(2) Mold JW Mathew MK Belgore s DeHaven M. Prevalence of night sweats in primary care patients: an OKPRN and TAFP-Net collaborative investigation J Fam Pract 2002;51:452-6.

(3) Lea MJ Aber RC Descriptive epidemiology of night sweats with admission to a university hospital. southerly Med J 1985;78:1065-7.

IN REPLY: We would like to thank Dr Mold for his notes and appreciate the study (1) bearinged by him and his colleagues upon the prevalence of night sweats in primary care patients. When we manner of lifeed the research for our article and revised it, that subject of attention was not yet published. An informal contemplate of medical students, house officers, and senior physicians (including infectious disease specialists, oncologists, and generalists) erect that tuberculosis is the first disease to draw near to mind when a patient reports night sweats. (2) The same puddle of physicians and students reported that they rarely conflicted night sweats as a symptom among patients with tuberculosis. In our original manuscript, (3) we cited the investigation (4) by Lea and Aber that discussed the descriptive epidemiology of night sweats, unless that section was subsequently edited public of the final article. This investigation (4) reported that out of 174 randomly pitch uponed university hospital patients, 72 reported night sweats within three month before admission. None of these patients had tuberculosis. These observations that many possible used by all causes of night sweats were not known serv as the initial basis for our article.

ANTHONY J VIERA, LCDR MC USNR

Naval Hospital Jacksonville

Family Practice Department

2080 Child St

Jacksonville, FL 32214-5005

REFERENCES

(1) Mold JW Mathew MK Belgore s DeHaven M. Prevalence of night sweats in primary care patients: an OKPRN and TAFP-Net collaborative investigation J Fam Pract 2002;51:452-6.

(2) Fr HL Night sweats. Hosp Pract (Off Ed) 1993;28:88

(3) Viera AJ, ligature MM, Yates SW. Diagnosing night sweats. Am Fam Physician 2003;67:1019-24

(4) Lea MJ Aber RC Descriptive epidemiology of night sweats relating to admission to a university hospital. southward Med J 1985;78:1065-7.

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