Fever in the wake of a stroke.
We performed a prospective study of the frequency and cause of fever, defined as a rectal temperature of greater than or equal to 101 degrees F detected within the first 5 days, in 104 consecutive adults admitted to a community/teaching hospital because of a nontraumatic stroke. Fever was documented in 23 patients. A source for the fever was identified in 19 patients and was attributed to a pulmonary insult, either aspiration chemical pneumonitis or an infectious pneumonia, in 13 of these patients. Patients who experienced lacunar infarcts did not develop fever. Fever occurring in the wake of a stroke should not be attributed to the vascular process, but should direct attention to inflammatory disorders of the lungs.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies