Tip for Hospice Nurses: Terminal Fever. In the last days or hours of life, your patient may suddenly spike a temp 🌡️ as high as 103 - 104, which disappears 💨as fast as it came on. In hospice we call this a terminal fever. There is not a lot of research on terminal fever, but my theory is that, like the rest of the body, the hypothalamus🧠 is shutting down and is no longer able to regulate the temp, so we see erratic fluctuations in temperature. A couple of points to consider: 1. Usually asympt