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postoperative fever
Etiology:
- atelectasis
- urinary tract infection
- wound infection
- pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis
- drug reaction
- transfusion reaction
- surgical stress response*
* low grade fever in 1st 12-24 hours
Pathology:
- mediated by cytokines, tumor necrosis factor, IFN-gamma release following surgical stress
Clinical manifestations:
- surgical stress
- median time to peak temperature is 11 hours
- 1/2 of patients have temperatures exceeding 38C (100.4 F)
- most surgical stress fevers resolve in several hours
- fevers from surgery for severe trauma may last for days [2]
General
postoperative complication
fever
References
- 21 Clinical Mnemonics
Medscape.
https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/21-clinical-mnemonics-6012961
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 19.
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2021