What is Fever

It is also known as pyrexia, from Greek pyretos  meaning fire. Fever implies in an elevated core body temperature >38.0°C (>100.4 °f)



Mechanism of action:

End toxin, inflammation & other pyrogenic stimuli  > Activation of monocytes & macrophage > Release of cytokines >

Preoptic  area of hypothalamus > Release of prostaglandins >  Elevation of temperature set point > Feve



Type of fever :

1.Continued fever:

Character : Does not touch the baseline (does not remit), fluctuation less then 2°C

Example : a. Typhoid fever.
                 b. Typhus.
                 c. Drug fever.
                 d. Malignant hyperthermia.

2. Intermittent fever:

                              a. tertian fever ( 3 days pattern)
                                             Example : plasmodium vivax.
                              b. Quartan fever ( 4 days pattern )
                                             Example : plasmodium malaria.
                             c. Quotidian fever (periodicity of fever within 24 hours)
                                            Example : plasmodium falciparum, malaria, kala-azar

3. Remittent fever :

    Character : daily fluctuation greater than 2°C temperature does not return to normal.
    Example : infective endocarditic.

Grading  of fever :  
              
Grade                     C           F
Low grade          38-39      100.4-102.2

Moderate grade   39-40      102.2-104.0

High-grade         40-41.1    104.0-106.0  

hyperpyrexia        >41.1     >106.6