Fever

Fever

Fever does not mean presence of infection. There are many situations where there is fever without infection and hence needs no antibiotics.

• Sepsis is a clinical syndrome, which results from the dysregulation of inflammatory response to an infection. The temperature is between 36 ^oC to 38.30^oC. Heart rate is often more than 90 per minute.
• Symptomatic inflammatory response syndrome means a clinical syndrome, which results from dysregulated inflammatory response to any infections such as inflammation of the pancreas, inflammation of the vessels, clot formations in the veins.
• Many antibiotics can cause fever; unless they are discontinued, fever will not subside.
• Hyperthermia is a condition with elevated body temperature but it is not called fever. Examples are exposure to heat or heat stroke and in response to anesthetic drugs and anti-psychotic drugs.
• Hyperthermia may not respond to anti-fever drugs.
• When fever is more than 41.5^oC, it is acute hyperpyrexia.
• Hyperpyrexia is usually seen in patients with severe infections but it may also occur in brain hemorrhage. It responds to anti-fever drugs.
• High temperature without infection is found in condition of hyperfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
• Recreational drugs such as Ecstasy can also cause fever without any infection.
• Mild fever can also occur after exertion.