Quick Pimps: Causes of Postoperative Fever

Postoperative fever is an extremely common finding and therefore an extremely common topic for med students to be pimped on. Fever is found in as many as 91% of post-op patients. It is most often benign and self-limited and a normal physiologic response to the trauma of surgery.  However it can be due to a variety of causes, some benign and some life threatening.

• Ws mnemonic
  • POD 1-2: Wind– Pneumonia, Aspiration, PE (NOT ATELECTASIS…listen to podcast for more details)
  • POD 3-5: Water– UTI
  • POD ~5: Walking– DVT, PE
  • POD ~7: Wound– Surgical Site Infection
  • POD >7: What we did– Line infections of drug/blood product reactions at any time
  • POD >10: Wonder Where?- Deep Abcess

Causes of Postoperative Fever Podcast

Postoperative fever notes

Evaluating postoperative fever: A focused approach. By James C. Pile MD