Cardiogenic Causes of Fever

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Persistent fever of unknown origin is rarely cardiac but warrants cardiac evaluation.
• Conditions like endocarditis, pericarditis, and post-cardiac injury syndromes can cause fever.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the cardiac causes of persistent fever.
• To highlight the diagnostic and prognostic significance of fever in various cardiac conditions.

Main Methods:

• Selective literature search on PubMed and Google Scholar.
• Keywords included "fever" with "myocardial infarction," "pericarditis," "endocarditis," and "postcardiac injury."
• Consideration of current cardiology guidelines.

Main Results:

• Fever occurs in 90% of endocarditis cases.
• 25-50% of myocardial infarction patients develop fever.
• Fever in pericarditis (above 38°C) suggests a poorer prognosis and may necessitate hospitalization or pericardiocentesis.
• Post-cardiotomy syndrome can present with fever up to 3 months post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• Fever can indicate both infectious and non-infectious cardiac etiologies.
• Clinical context is essential for interpreting fever.
• Limited evidence exists for treatment, underscoring the need for controlled trials.