Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Oct 2014
Multicenter StudyThe epidemiology of spontaneous fever and hypothermia on admission of brain injury patients to intensive care units: a multicenter cohort study.
Fever and hypothermia (dysthermia) are associated with poor outcomes in patients with brain injuries. The authors sought to study the epidemiology of dysthermia on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the effect on in-hospital case fatality in a mixed cohort of patients with brain injuries. ⋯ Fever is frequently encountered in the acute phase of brain injury, and a small proportion of patients with brain injuries may also develop spontaneous hypothermia. The effect of fever on mortality rates differed by neurological diagnosis. Both early spontaneous fever and hypothermia conferred a higher risk of in-hospital death after brain injury.