Postoperative Fever: To What Is the Body Really Responding?
ABSTRACT
THE PRESENCE OF A POSTOPERATIVE FEVER is not always indicative of an infectious process. Mild temperature elevation may be transient in nature and may arise from the body's response to tissue injury. Fevers that present from two to more than seven days after a surgical procedure may be caused by other physiological responses.
PERIOPERATIVE NURSES can target nursing assessments according to the postoperative day on which the fever presents. AORN J 86 (December 2007) 983–988. © AORN, Inc, 2007.
indicates that continuing education contact hours are available for this activity. Earn the contact hours by reading this article and taking the examination on pages 989–990 and then completing the answer sheet and learner evaluation on pages 991–992.You also may access this article online at http://www.aornjournal.org.The behavioral objectives and examination for this program were prepared by Rebecca Holm, RN, MSN, CNOR, clinical editor, with consultation from Susan Bakewell, RN, MS, BC, director, Center for Perioperative Education. Ms Holm and Ms Bakewell have no declared affiliations that could be perceived as a potential conflicts of interest in publishing this article.This program meets criteria for CNOR and CRNFA recertification, as well as other continuing education requirements.AORN is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.AORN is provider-approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 13019. Check with your state board of nursing for acceptance of this activity for relicensure.
PII: S0001-2092(07)00568-6
doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2007.08.018
© 2007 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.