ABSTRACT
When injected into humans in sufficient amounts, pyrogens will cause a variety of adverse physiological responses (Table 2.1). The most common or recognizable response is an increase in body temperature, from which the name “pyrogen” is derived (Greek pyro fire, gen beginning). Pyrogenic responses rarely are fatal unless the patient is very sick and the dose is very large. Nevertheless, pyrogens are considered toxic substances and should never be injected knowingly. Pyrogen contamination of large-volume parenteral (LVP) solutions is especially serious because of the large amounts of fluid administered to people whose illnesses must be severe enough to warrant the use of such large volumes.
