(1)
Department of Family Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
Key Points
1.
Fever in the postpartum period may be a sign of significant infection.
2.
Although maternal temperature elevation may be normal in the first 24 h, persistent, markedly elevated, or unexplained fevers must be evaluated.
Background
For most pregnancies, the postpartum period is uncomplicated and the routine management is discussed in Chap. 30. Occasionally, however, the hospital postpartum period is complicated by a variety of developments. Among these complications, postpartum hemorrhage, fever, and infection are the most common. Postpartum hemorrhage is discussed in Chap. 28. This chapter focuses on a discussion of an approach to the postpartum patient with fever and infection.
Fever
A variety of conditions may contribute to an elevated maternal temperature, especially in the first 24 h following delivery. Many of these conditions do not require specific intervention and are not considered a true fever. Maternal fever in the postpartum period is defined as a temperature of 38 °C (100.4 °F) on two occasions at least 24 h apart.
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