Postoperative fever specific to neuroendoscopic procedures.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Pediatric Surgery
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Postoperative fever without infection is a frequent complication of neuroendoscopic surgery.
• Clinical details and predictive factors for this fever remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical characteristics of postoperative fever following neuroendoscopic procedures.
• To identify factors that predict the occurrence of fever after neuroendoscopy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 86 neuroendoscopic procedures in 83 patients (March 1998-March 2013).
• Examination of fever incidence (≥38.0°C and ≥39.0°C) and duration within 7 days post-surgery.
• Investigation of potential predictive variables: age, sex, procedure type, operative time, and irrigation fluid volume.

Main Results:

• Fever incidence was 65.1% (≥38.0°C) and 15.1% (≥39.0°C), with a median peak of 38.6°C.
• Fever onset was immediate post-surgery, resolving within 4 days.
• Age was the sole significant predictor of fever (p=0.032), with a negative correlation between age and temperature (p<0.001).
• Patients under 10 years old showed a higher tendency for postoperative fever (p=0.005).

Conclusions:

• Neuroendoscopic procedures are associated with a distinct pattern of postoperative fever.
• This fever is generally non-serious but occurs frequently, particularly in younger children.
• Special attention and monitoring are warranted for pediatric patients under 10 years undergoing neuroendoscopic surgery.