ABSTRACT
Practically speaking, in primary care the presence of fever always indicates an infection. Fever phobia is a common driver for urgent NHS consultations – yet fever is not dangerous. In this chapter we consider fever, its purpose and harms, and the role of antipyretics. We specifically look at the evidence for managing fever in pregnancy, and the effect of antipyretics on the immune response to vaccination. Sometimes fever is the presenting problem; we cover the red flags, risk factors for sepsis and the assessment of the feverish child under five years using the NICE traffic lights system, including information about Kawasaki disease.
