MCD - Fever Flashcards
Etiology of Fever - Respiratory infections?
- Acute bronchitis.
- Pneumonia.
- Influenza.
- Empyema.
- Infective exacerbation of bronchiectasis/COPD.
- TB.
Etiology of fever - GI causes?
- Gastroenteritis.
- Appendicitis.
- Biliary sepsis.
- Viral hep.
- Diverticulitis.
- Intra-abdominal TB.
- Hepatic abscess.
Etiology of fever - Skin/soft tissue?
- Cellulitis.
- Erysipelas.
- Necrotizing fasciitis.
- Pyomyositis.
- Infected pressure sore.
- Wound infection.
Etiology of fever - Musculoskeletal causes?
- Septic arthritis (native and prosthetic joint).
- Osteomyelitis.
- Discitis.
- Epidural abscess.
Etiology of fever - Genitourinary tract?
- Lower UTI, e.g. cystitis, prostatitis.
- Upper UTI (pyelonephritis).
- Perinephric collection.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Epididymo-orchitis.
- Syphilis.
Etiology of fever - CNS?
- Meningitis (bacterial, viral, fungal, TB).
- Encephalitis.
- Cerebral abscess.
Etiology of fever - ENT?
- Upper RTI, eg tonsillitis.
- Otitis media.
- Quinsy.
- Dental abscess.
- Mumps/Parotitis.
- Glandular fever (EBV).
- Sinusitis.
Etiology of fever - Immunocompromised patients?
- Pneumocystis jiroveci (carinii) pneumonia.
- Aspergillosis.
- TB.
- Atypical mycobacterial infection, eg MAI.
- CMV infection.
- Toxo.
- Cryptococcal meningitis.
- Nocardia.
- Disseminated herpes/fungal infection.
Etiology of fever - Returning travelers?
- Malaria.
- Typhoid.
- Infective diarrhea, eg cholera, amebiasis, Shigella.
- Amebic liver disease.
- Strongyloides infection.
- Schistosomiasis.
- Dengue.
Etiology of fever - Other infectious causes?
- Leptospirosis.
- Brucellosis.
- Lyme.
- Q fever.
- HIV.
- Toxo.
- Fungal infection.
- Measles.
- Rubella.
- Herpes zoster infection (chickenpox or shingles).
Etiology of fever - Malignancy?
- Hematological malignancy - Lymphoma/leukemia/myeloma.
2. Solid tumors - Renal, Liver, colon, pancreas.
Etiology of fever - Connective tissue disease?
- Giant cell arteritis/Polymyalgia rheumatica.
- RA.
- SLE.
- Polymyositis.
- Polyarteritis nodosa.
- Wegener.
- Churg-Strauss.
- Cryoglobulinemia.
- Adult-onset Still’s disease.
Etiology of fever - Drugs?
- Drug fever (almost any drug).
- Antipsychotics (neuroleptic malignant syndrome).
- Anesthetics (malignant hyperthermia).
- Cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy.
Etiology of fever - Miscellaneous causes?
- Transfusion-associated.
- Thyrotoxicosis, thyroiditis.
- Pheochromocytoma.
- DVT/PE.
- Pancreatitis.
- Alcoholic hep/ delirium tremens.
- Rheumatic fever.
- IBD.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Atrial myxoma.
- Familial Mediterranean fever.
- Erythroderma/Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
- Factitious (fever or apparent fever surreptitiously engineered by the patient).
Fever overview - Step 1?
Exposure to blood products, anesthetic, antipsychotics or stimulants. If YES: 1. Transfusion reaction. 2. Malignant hyperthermia. 3. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Fever overview - Step 2?
HR>90, RR>20, or abnormal WBC/CRP.
If YES –> SIRS/sepsis.
Fever overview - Step 3?
Specific risk factor for infection.
If YES –> Further targeted investigation.
Fever overview - Step 4?
Clinical findings/initial tests suggest a likely source.
If YES –> Confirm diagnosis +/- empirical treatment.
Fever overview - Step 5?
Positive cultures.
If YES –> Seek source +/- specific antimicrobial therapy.
Fever overview - Step 6?
Persistent fever.
If YES –> See further assessment of pyrexia of unknown origin.
Fever caused by transfusion - What to do?
- Stop the transfusion.
- Ensure compatibility.
- Contact the blood bank and seek immediate Hematology input if there is any suspicion of ABO incompatibility or other major transfusion reaction.
- Otherwise, monitor temperature and vital signs, and consider restarting the transfusion at a slower rate if observations are stable, the patient is systemically well and the rise in temperature is <1.5C.
Fever due to neuroleptic malignant syndrome - When to suspect?
If the patient has received neuroleptics, eg haloperidol, within the past 1-4weeks and exhibits muscular rigidity, tremor and excessive sweating and/or altered mental status, especially in association with incr. CK.
Fever due to toxic hyperthermia?
- Ask about cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines.
- Temperature >39.
- UP BP, UP HR, dilated pupils, aggression, psychosis or serotonin syndrome eg rigidity, hyper-reflexia.
Fever due to rhabdomyolysis, ARF, arrhythmia, DIC, acute liver failure - What to measure?
- CK.
- U+E.
- LFTs.
- Coagulation.
- Monitor ECG, HR, BP, urine output.
Fever due to malignant hyperthermia - When to assume?
Severe pyrexia with tachycardia +/- rhabdomyolysis during administration of, or within 1-2 hrs of exposure to, a volatile anesthetic, eg halothane, or succinylcholine.
Fever with HR>90, RR>20 or abnormal WBC/CRP - What to think?
Assess the patient for SIRS/sepsis.
SIRS/Sepsis - What is ESSENTIAL to minimize mortality?
EARLY + APPROPRIATE antibiotic treatment.