What vital sign should be monitored to assess fever in a patient?

Monitoring temperature is essential for assessing fever in a patient because fever is defined specifically as an elevation in body temperature. The normal body temperature range is typically around 98.6°F (37°C), and any increase may indicate the presence of an infection or inflammation in the body.

When clinicians assess a patient to determine if they have a fever, they will use various thermometers to measure the temperature accurately, as this directly reflects the state of the body's immune response. Other vital signs like respiratory rate, blood pressure, and heart rate can provide valuable information about a patient's overall condition, but they do not specifically identify the presence of a fever. Instead, they may reflect the body’s response to fever or changes in health status but are not indicators of fever themselves. Thus, monitoring temperature is the most direct and relevant method for identifying a fever.