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Related Experiment Videos

The adaptive value of fever

M J Kluger1, W Kozak, C A Conn

  • 1Lovelace Institutes, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
|March 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Fever is a crucial adaptive response to infection. Suppressing fever with medications may increase illness and death, though these effects are often subtle and overlooked.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Fever is a conserved, adaptive host response to infection across the animal kingdom.
  • Antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic drugs suppress fever.
  • The role of fever in host defense is often underestimated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the potential negative consequences of fever suppression on infection outcomes.
  • To highlight the importance of fever as a host defense mechanism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing evidence on fever as an adaptive response.
  • Analysis of the impact of antipyretic drug use on morbidity and mortality during infections.

Main Results:

  • Evidence strongly supports fever as an adaptive host defense.
  • Suppression of fever by medications likely increases morbidity and mortality in many infections.
  • These adverse effects are often subtle and not readily apparent to healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

  • Fever is a vital component of the host's innate immune response.
  • Routine suppression of fever with medications may be detrimental to patient recovery.
  • Further clinical observation is needed to fully appreciate the impact of antipyretics on infection outcomes.

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