title: Atelectasis as a cause of postoperative fever: where is the clinical evidence?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atelectasis is considered to be the most common cause of early postoperative fever (EPF) but the existing evidence is contradictory. We sought to determine if atelectasis is associated with EPF by analyzing the relevant published evidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a systematic search in PubMed and Scopus databases to identify studies examining the association between atelectasis and EPF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of eight studies, including 998 cardiac, abdominal, and maxillofacial surgery patients, were eligible for analysis. Only two studies specifically examined our question, and six additional articles reported sufficient data to be included. Only one study reported a significant association between postoperative atelectasis and fever, whereas the remaining studies indicated no such association. The performance of EPF as a diagnostic test for atelectasis was also assessed, and EPF performed poorly (pooled diagnostic OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.92-2.12). The significant heterogeneity among the studies precluded a formal metaanalysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The available evidence regarding the association of atelectasis and fever is scarce. We found no clinical evidence supporting the concept that atelectasis is associated with EPF. More so, there is no clear evidence that atelectasis causes fever at all. Large studies are needed to precisely evaluate the contribution of atelectasis in EPF.
authors.affiliation: Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mavros
authors.affiliation: Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Velmahos
authors.affiliation: Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Athens, Greece; Department of Medicine, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece; Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Electronic address: m.falagas@aibs.gr.
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Falagas
mesh_terms: D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000150:complications*