[Febrile infections and their treatment]

Fever is a cardinal symptom of most infectious diseases; the febrile conditions not caused by infection are, however, not sufficiently taken into consideration in diagnosis and therapy. In 297 infections with a febrile course only in 26.26% of the cases a therapy with antibiotics was indicated. Antipyretic drugs were only exceptionally used under hospital conditions. Before hospitalisation, however, more than 75% of the 297 patients were treated with antibiotics and/or antipyretically. Virus infections stand in the first place of an unnecessary and, therefore, uncritical chemotherapy. With a casuistic report on the sequels of an uncritical chemotherapy is referred to the dangers for the patient and to the not insignificant economic burden for the society.