Postoperative fever: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 23:53, 16 August 2012
Template:Search infobox Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Postoperative fever is a common condition challenging doctor's to find the right diagnosis, because it can be a hallmark of serious underlying conditions.
Differential diagnosis of causes of postoperative fever
The most common causes have been summarized in a handy mnemonic: the five W's. These tend to occur at specific days after surgery (postoperative days or POD).
- Wind, POD1-2: the lungs, i.e. pneumonia, aspiration, and pulmonary embolism, but not atelectasis
- Water, POD3-5: urinary tract infection
- Walking (or VEINS, which then sounds like "Weins"), POD4-6: deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
- Wound, POD5-7: surgical site infection, which in obstetrics or gynaecology, may refer to the uterus.
- Wonder drugs or “What did we do?”, POD7+: drug fever, infections related to intravenous lines
Numerous variants on the same theme may exist: sometimes another W for "Wonder why" may indicate an abscess somewhere in the body or the site of surgery. Of course, this list is not comprehensive: catheter-related sepsis is also frequent, but also easily recognised.
References
Template:Skin and subcutaneous tissue symptoms and signs Template:Nervous and musculoskeletal system symptoms and signs Template:Urinary system symptoms and signs Template:Cognition, perception, emotional state and behaviour symptoms and signs Template:Speech and voice symptoms and signs Template:General symptoms and signs