Do fevers caused by infection not exceed 105 °F (40.6 °C)?
This question is prompted by but distinct from Is fever (temperature) below 106° F harmful? That question asks about whether fevers below that temperature can cause harm. This question is asking whether there is any appreciable risk of fevers below that temperature progressing to higher temperatures when the underlying cause of fever is a bacterial or viral infection.
That question quotes a source that says in a very definitive tone that fevers caused by viral or bacterial infections do not go above 105 °F:
The common cold and influenza are the most common sources of elevated
temperatures.. they can generate fevers that range all the way up to
105 degrees, but [...] Untreated fevers caused by viral and bacterial infections do not rise inexorably and will not exceed 105 degrees [...]
Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, or other externally caused
fevers is this bodily mechanism over-whelmed and inoperative. It is in
those cases that temperatures reach and exceed 106 degrees
(How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Robert S. Mendelsohn, as quoted in alpha1's question)
Is it true that infections are a negligible cause of elevated body temperature above 105 °F?
medical-science disease infection
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
add a comment |
This question is prompted by but distinct from Is fever (temperature) below 106° F harmful? That question asks about whether fevers below that temperature can cause harm. This question is asking whether there is any appreciable risk of fevers below that temperature progressing to higher temperatures when the underlying cause of fever is a bacterial or viral infection.
That question quotes a source that says in a very definitive tone that fevers caused by viral or bacterial infections do not go above 105 °F:
The common cold and influenza are the most common sources of elevated
temperatures.. they can generate fevers that range all the way up to
105 degrees, but [...] Untreated fevers caused by viral and bacterial infections do not rise inexorably and will not exceed 105 degrees [...]
Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, or other externally caused
fevers is this bodily mechanism over-whelmed and inoperative. It is in
those cases that temperatures reach and exceed 106 degrees
(How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Robert S. Mendelsohn, as quoted in alpha1's question)
Is it true that infections are a negligible cause of elevated body temperature above 105 °F?
medical-science disease infection
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
add a comment |
This question is prompted by but distinct from Is fever (temperature) below 106° F harmful? That question asks about whether fevers below that temperature can cause harm. This question is asking whether there is any appreciable risk of fevers below that temperature progressing to higher temperatures when the underlying cause of fever is a bacterial or viral infection.
That question quotes a source that says in a very definitive tone that fevers caused by viral or bacterial infections do not go above 105 °F:
The common cold and influenza are the most common sources of elevated
temperatures.. they can generate fevers that range all the way up to
105 degrees, but [...] Untreated fevers caused by viral and bacterial infections do not rise inexorably and will not exceed 105 degrees [...]
Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, or other externally caused
fevers is this bodily mechanism over-whelmed and inoperative. It is in
those cases that temperatures reach and exceed 106 degrees
(How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Robert S. Mendelsohn, as quoted in alpha1's question)
Is it true that infections are a negligible cause of elevated body temperature above 105 °F?
medical-science disease infection
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
This question is prompted by but distinct from Is fever (temperature) below 106° F harmful? That question asks about whether fevers below that temperature can cause harm. This question is asking whether there is any appreciable risk of fevers below that temperature progressing to higher temperatures when the underlying cause of fever is a bacterial or viral infection.
That question quotes a source that says in a very definitive tone that fevers caused by viral or bacterial infections do not go above 105 °F:
The common cold and influenza are the most common sources of elevated
temperatures.. they can generate fevers that range all the way up to
105 degrees, but [...] Untreated fevers caused by viral and bacterial infections do not rise inexorably and will not exceed 105 degrees [...]
Only in the case of heatstroke, poisoning, or other externally caused
fevers is this bodily mechanism over-whelmed and inoperative. It is in
those cases that temperatures reach and exceed 106 degrees
(How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Robert S. Mendelsohn, as quoted in alpha1's question)
Is it true that infections are a negligible cause of elevated body temperature above 105 °F?
medical-science disease infection
medical-science disease infection
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
edited 19 mins ago
Jonas Stein
3671411
3671411
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
asked 4 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
4901715
4901715
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
The claim is false, as evidenced by Prospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperpyrexia (Temperature of 106°F or Higher) Pediatrics, July 2006; 118(1): 34–40.
Data were collected prospectively on all children <18 years of age presenting to a pediatric emergency department during a 2-year period with rectal temperatures of ≥106°F
...
Of 130 828 visits, 103 children had hyperpyrexia (1 per 1270 patient visits). Of the 103 subjects, 20 had serious bacterial infection, and 22 had laboratory-proven viral illness (including 1 subject with bacterial/viral coinfection)
...
Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections...
...
One subject, a 4-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, presented with both neuroleptic malignant syndrome and apparent septic shock. His temperature reached 108.9°F, and he expired during subsequent hospitalization despite aggressive management. A tracheal aspirate collected in the ED grew Pseudomonas. Because the same organism was recovered from autopsy blood cultures, the Pseudomonas was regarded as the cause of sepsis.
...
no child arrived in the ED with hyperpyrexia secondary to heat-related illness
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
|
show 1 more comment
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
The claim is false, as evidenced by Prospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperpyrexia (Temperature of 106°F or Higher) Pediatrics, July 2006; 118(1): 34–40.
Data were collected prospectively on all children <18 years of age presenting to a pediatric emergency department during a 2-year period with rectal temperatures of ≥106°F
...
Of 130 828 visits, 103 children had hyperpyrexia (1 per 1270 patient visits). Of the 103 subjects, 20 had serious bacterial infection, and 22 had laboratory-proven viral illness (including 1 subject with bacterial/viral coinfection)
...
Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections...
...
One subject, a 4-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, presented with both neuroleptic malignant syndrome and apparent septic shock. His temperature reached 108.9°F, and he expired during subsequent hospitalization despite aggressive management. A tracheal aspirate collected in the ED grew Pseudomonas. Because the same organism was recovered from autopsy blood cultures, the Pseudomonas was regarded as the cause of sepsis.
...
no child arrived in the ED with hyperpyrexia secondary to heat-related illness
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
|
show 1 more comment
The claim is false, as evidenced by Prospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperpyrexia (Temperature of 106°F or Higher) Pediatrics, July 2006; 118(1): 34–40.
Data were collected prospectively on all children <18 years of age presenting to a pediatric emergency department during a 2-year period with rectal temperatures of ≥106°F
...
Of 130 828 visits, 103 children had hyperpyrexia (1 per 1270 patient visits). Of the 103 subjects, 20 had serious bacterial infection, and 22 had laboratory-proven viral illness (including 1 subject with bacterial/viral coinfection)
...
Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections...
...
One subject, a 4-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, presented with both neuroleptic malignant syndrome and apparent septic shock. His temperature reached 108.9°F, and he expired during subsequent hospitalization despite aggressive management. A tracheal aspirate collected in the ED grew Pseudomonas. Because the same organism was recovered from autopsy blood cultures, the Pseudomonas was regarded as the cause of sepsis.
...
no child arrived in the ED with hyperpyrexia secondary to heat-related illness
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
|
show 1 more comment
The claim is false, as evidenced by Prospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperpyrexia (Temperature of 106°F or Higher) Pediatrics, July 2006; 118(1): 34–40.
Data were collected prospectively on all children <18 years of age presenting to a pediatric emergency department during a 2-year period with rectal temperatures of ≥106°F
...
Of 130 828 visits, 103 children had hyperpyrexia (1 per 1270 patient visits). Of the 103 subjects, 20 had serious bacterial infection, and 22 had laboratory-proven viral illness (including 1 subject with bacterial/viral coinfection)
...
Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections...
...
One subject, a 4-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, presented with both neuroleptic malignant syndrome and apparent septic shock. His temperature reached 108.9°F, and he expired during subsequent hospitalization despite aggressive management. A tracheal aspirate collected in the ED grew Pseudomonas. Because the same organism was recovered from autopsy blood cultures, the Pseudomonas was regarded as the cause of sepsis.
...
no child arrived in the ED with hyperpyrexia secondary to heat-related illness
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
The claim is false, as evidenced by Prospective Evaluation of the Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperpyrexia (Temperature of 106°F or Higher) Pediatrics, July 2006; 118(1): 34–40.
Data were collected prospectively on all children <18 years of age presenting to a pediatric emergency department during a 2-year period with rectal temperatures of ≥106°F
...
Of 130 828 visits, 103 children had hyperpyrexia (1 per 1270 patient visits). Of the 103 subjects, 20 had serious bacterial infection, and 22 had laboratory-proven viral illness (including 1 subject with bacterial/viral coinfection)
...
Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections...
...
One subject, a 4-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, presented with both neuroleptic malignant syndrome and apparent septic shock. His temperature reached 108.9°F, and he expired during subsequent hospitalization despite aggressive management. A tracheal aspirate collected in the ED grew Pseudomonas. Because the same organism was recovered from autopsy blood cultures, the Pseudomonas was regarded as the cause of sepsis.
...
no child arrived in the ED with hyperpyrexia secondary to heat-related illness
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
edited 2 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
answered 3 hours ago
DavePhDDavePhD
76.4k19325351
76.4k19325351
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
|
show 1 more comment
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
Thanks. I'd appreciate if you could add some more info about how to distinguish correlation from causation in this area, if possible. Does "cause of sepsis" in that last quote imply "cause of fever"? I looked up "neuroleptic malignant syndrome" and it seems to be a drug reaction that can cause dangerously high fever.
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
The authors seem to be a bit vague in most places about causality, as the abstract talks about "the risk of serious bacterial infection in children with hyperpyrexia" (rather than e.g. "the risk of hyperpyrexia in children with serious bacterial infection") and they say both that "Common causes of hyperpyrexia in children include bacterial infections, viral infections, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, intoxication, and heat stroke" and "whether or not hyperpyrexia itself confers a high risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a controversial issue".
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
@sumelic "incidence of SBI in children without underlying illness was 13" and "We suspect that viruses may have been responsible for many of the nonspecific febrile illnesses"
– DavePhD
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
Did you understand which kinds of underlying illnesses they were talking about? I didn't see a section where they mentioned that, and I was curious about which kinds of chronic conditions would cause a predisposition to hyperpyrexia. (Unrelatedly: Even after your edits, I'm still unsure about how the quote about the 4-year-old with muscular dystrophy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome and septic shock is related to my question. Does it actually support the idea that infections can cause high fevers? I have upvoted the post because I think the article as a whole provides support for that point.)
– sumelic
2 hours ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
@sumelic "Any chronic condition resulting in impaired function of any organ system was classified as an underlying condition, with the exception of reactive airways disease. The presence of foreign bodies, such as central intravascular catheters, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and renal stents, was also classified as an underlying condition, as was a previous history of UTI, because the history of UTI could be a marker for renal structural abnormality."
– DavePhD
1 hour ago
|
show 1 more comment
