A patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may develop hyperthermia for a number of reasons. Identifying the cause is essential for effective therapy.
Drug-Related
Features
stimulant overdose (PCP, LDS, cocaine, amphetamine, methcathinone, etc)
febrile on admission; fever decreases as drug eliminated
neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
dopamine receptor blocking agents
malignant hyperthermia (MH)
exposure to halothane or depolarizing muscle relaxants during surgery
drug fever
antibiotics or other drugs; disappears on discontinuing drug
Brain Injury Related
hypothalamic injury
paroxysmal autonomic instability with dystonia (PAID)
episodic, with diaphoresis, tachycardia, hypertonia, agitation; injury to thalamus and hypothalamus
Infection Related
sepsis
positive blood cultures
pneumonia
pulmonary infiltrate, positive sputum cultures
meningitis
leukocytosis in CSF, positive CSF cultures
urinary tract infect
pyuria and positive urine culture
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Specialty: Surgery, orthopedic, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Surgery, general, Otolaryngology
ICD-10: ,
