Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum
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Despite minor daily and monthly cyclical variations, body temperature remains relatively constant. Core temperature is maintained by thermoregulatory responses such as sweating, vasoconstriction and shivering, which are largely controlled by the hypothalamus. Within the hierarchy of neural structures regulating autonomic thermoregulatory responses, the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus plays a dominant role. ⋯ The increasing phase of fever is often associated with shivering, which can markedly increase heart rate and cardiac output. Defervescence (and passive hyperthermia) is also often accompanied by tachycardia resulting from active precapillary vasodilation. Thus, cardiovascular complications are common throughout the febrile course and constitute the major clinical consequence of fever.