Evaluating postoperative fever.

Fever is one of the most common postoperative complications seen in medical and surgical settings. Clinicians taking care of these patients need to be able to differentiate between a normal physiologic response to surgery and one that may be pathologic. Pathologic causes should be further separated into infectious and noninfectious causes. A systematic approach to febrile postoperative patients can help clinicians make better use of resources, limit costly workups, and improve patient outcomes.