ABSTRACT
Fever, sweats, and hot flashes are commonly encountered in the terminally ill and cancer patients. These may sometimes be associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Optimal management of fevers, chills, sweats, and hot flashes is therefore of vital consideration in symptom management. This chapter focuses on meticulous patient assessment, on ascertaining the likely etiology, if possible, and on the implementation of appropriate treatment interventions befitting the patient-determined goals of care. Hot flashes, experienced by three-quarters of menopausal women, are described as a sudden onset of an uncomfortable sensation of intense heat, accompanied by skin flushing, warmth, and sweating, usually of the chest and face. Hot flashes should be routinely assessed as a component of systematic symptom surveys, and if present, a careful assessment of hot flash frequency, intensity, duration, potential triggers, and impact on quality of life is advised in order to construct an individualized treatment plan.
