ABSTRACT
Fever is neither necessary nor specific as a marker of infection, but it commonly accompanies infection. Fever or hyperthermia at any point in pregnancy, however, should be considered a symptom, not a diagnosis. As such, it is important to generate an appropriate differential diagnosis to guide lab test and imaging modalities to help reach a correct diagnosis. About 200-700 women per 100,000 deliveries require ICU admission. Sepsis accounts for 5-8% of ICU admissions in pregnancy. Pregnant women may undergo rapid progression from initial sepsis recognition to the development of severe sepsis. Fetal tachycardia or tachysystole may be seen in response to maternal fever. Fetal heart rate variability may be decreased, minimal, or absent. The use of tocolytics in the setting of severe maternal illness should be carefully considered, as the use of ß-agonists may increase the risk of pulmonary edema.
