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Published on: August 17, 2013
Fever Burden and Neurological Outcome in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Tommaso Rochat1, David Legouis1, De Stefano Pia2
1Neuro-Intensive Care Unit, Department of Intensive Care, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Neurotrauma Reports
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Fever burden, a measure of temperature intensity and duration after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI), is common and linked to worse neurological recovery. Managing fever may improve outcomes for TSCI patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Traumatology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Fever is a frequent complication after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI).
- Existing research on fever's impact in TSCI is limited and inconclusive.
- Current methods of assessing fever (present/absent) fail to capture cumulative thermal stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fever burden and neurological recovery in acute TSCI patients.
- To introduce and evaluate the concept of fever burden (degree-hours) as a more precise measure of hyperthermia.
- To identify potential therapeutic targets for improving outcomes in TSCI.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study of 24 adult TSCI patients admitted to a Neurocritical Care Unit.
- Continuous core temperature monitoring via bladder probe for 72 hours post-admission.
- Fever burden calculated as degree-hours above 37.9°C; neurological outcome assessed using ASIA Impairment Scale.
Main Results:
- Fever occurred in 79.2% of patients, constituting 15.8% of monitored time.
- Greater fever burden was independently associated with poorer neurological recovery (OR 1.29, p < 0.001).
- Older age was linked to reduced odds of adverse outcomes (OR 0.97 per year, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Early fever burden after TSCI is prevalent and significantly impacts neurological recovery.
- Precise temperature monitoring and targeted fever management are crucial therapeutic strategies.
- Further large-scale, multicenter prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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