Fever
From IDWiki
Background
Definition
- Fever is a core body temperature ≥38ºC that occurs as a part of a febrile response (compared to hyperthermia which may be from any cause)
Differential Diagnosis
| Diagnosis | Clinical Clues |
|---|---|
| Infection | Leukocytosis, sepsis, increasing oxygen requirements, altered mentation |
| Venous thromboemoblism | Swollen, tender arm or leg, increasing oxygen requirements |
| Drug-related | No improvement on antibiotics, compatible medication exposure |
| Post-surgical | Recent surgery, rule out surgical site infection |
| Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity | Tachycardia, tachypnea, dystonic posturing, episodic, associated with stimulation, traumatic brain injury |
| Neurogenic fever | No other cause identified, hypothalamic injury, subarachnoid or intraventricular hemorrhage, recurrent, no improvement with treatment |
