Abstract
Background: Fever is considered common during alcohol withdrawal, but there are very few reports
focused on this problem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence
and causes of fever in patients admitted to the hospital with alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
Methods: A total of 110 episodes of alcohol abstinence syndrome (10 cases of tremulousness
and anxiety, 38 of delirium, and 62 cases of seizure) in 98 patients admitted to the
hospital for that reason (82 males and 12 females, median age 42 years, range 18–72
years) were reviewed. Cases with fever on admission were not included. Results: Seventy-two cases (65%) presented low-grade fever (maximum axillary temperature
37–37.9°C), and 23 cases (21%) presented high-grade fever (≥38°C). Pyrexia appeared
after a median of 2 days in the hospital (range 1–8 days). The prevalence of fever
was similar among the different alcohol withdrawal syndromes. Catheter-associated
phlebitis was the cause of pyrexia in 39 cases (41%). Respiratory infection was present
in 15 cases of pyrexia (16%) and urinary tract infection in 11 (12%). Patients with
low serum albumin levels had a higher rate of both respiratory and urinary tract infection.
Ten patients (12%) had more than one cause of fever. In 38 cases of pyrexia (40%),
no cause was identified. This was more frequent in low-grade fever (33 cases, 46%)
than in high-grade fever (five cases, 22%). All cases of pyrexia without an obvious
cause resolved spontaneously after a median of 3 days. Conclusions: Pyrexia is very common during alcohol withdrawal syndrome. A cause may frequently
be identified, particularly in patients with high-grade fever. Many patients have
transient pyrexia (mostly low-grade fever) without an obvious cause.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 4,
1999
Received in revised form:
May 4,
1999
Received:
April 1,
1999
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
