Department of Surgery, Manchester Memorial Hospital, Manchester, Connecticut 06040, USA. jebaronemd@gmail.com
The significance and management of fever in surgical patients involves several misconceptions that have been perpetuated over the years. This review addresses nine such misconceptions and using evidence from the literature, attempts to clarify such diverse issues as the concept of normal body temperature, the investigation and rationale for the treatment of postoperative fever, the beneficial effects of fever and the potential adverse effects of suppressing fever.