ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: LOIS on September 22, 2008, 10:41:50 pm
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Just want to ask, has anybody else or is it normal to run a low grade temp 3 weeks after surgery? Every night I run a fever of just over 100. During the day its pretty much normal most of the time but towards the evening it goes up and stays at about 100.02.
Lois
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Lois,
If you are running a fever you probably have an infection -- It is never normal to run a fever -- get to the doctor ASAP!!! Please post as soon as you can and let us know what he says.
Very concerned for you,
Wendy
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Lois,
thinking wendy got it right and sometimes post-surgery low grade fevers can set in (they also advise us before procedures of post-surgical risks, including chance of infections, etc). Please advise your docs to keep them in the loop. Not sure if you have tried and OTC fever reducer (ie; Tylenol, etc).... see what the doc's office says.
I hope you feel better!
Phyl
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Hi, Lois:
I'm afraid I'll have to side with the majority. A persistent low-grade fever should prompt a call to your doctor for advice. It is not normal and could be caused by an infection. Perhaps not, but I wouldn't allow this to go unchecked by a medical professional.
I trust you'll follow up with your doctor and all will be well, soon. :)
Jim
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Lois,
It's actually normal for your body temperature to go up a bit in the evening hours (A Circadian rhythm thing..). That's why you'll usually notice when your kids are sick, their fever will actually spike and be at it's highest in the evening.
But, since you are only 3 weeks post op, I'd have it checked out because you don't want to take a chance of letting an infection take hold. If you can have someone check along the incision and see if it's red or warmer than the rest of your skin, you can report that to the doctor when you call. Those are 2 signs of an infection and it would be better to catch it quickly.
Better safe than sorry in this case!
Lori
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I'm with the crowd on this one - it could be a sign of infection.
I'd check with your doctor, if you haven't already.
Keep us posted.
Thanks,
Jan
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I'm going to call him in the morning. Today, it pretty much stayed at a little over 100, then this evening its been up to 101 and staying there. And the headache is out of control. He put me on Gabapentin for the headaches but I still have some percoset left and I'm taking one tonight. Can't take this headache much longer.
Lois
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Maybe Lori can shed light on this one,
While in hospital with my AN surgery (1st one) it was noted I had a fever, don't know to what degree, but they started me on antibiotics. No big whoop here but....
One night an LPN woke me as she was taking my temp in the operated ear and then said, "Wait, you had surgery to this side, let me check other ear." When this was done she noted no temperature or "normal" rather, so they took me off antibiotics. What gives here?
Another ?? for Lori,
My "normal" temp is 96.6 or 7 so if one day my temp reads 98.8, does this indicate a fever? Just curious here.
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Well, I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on tv.. but, I'll give it my best shot!
I have no idea why they would have started you on antibiotics and then stopped them so suddenly. I've never heard of that. Especially these days when they are more hesitant to give antibiotics in the first place. I can understand them not wanting the temp from your operated side, but stopping antibiotics so abruptly is odd. If you did have an infection and treated it with only a partial run of antibiotics, you'd stand a higher chance of it coming back in a more virulent form. (Hey, Jim.. there are a few big words here! ;D)
As far as "normal" temperatures, or normal anything else for that matter, "normal" could be different for everyone and could vary by the time of day, what you're doing at the time. I wouldn't think a degree either way would be considered a fever. At least, when I was working as a nurse, I wouldn't have considered it a fever. You also have to remember that those digital ear thermometers are not as accurate, in my opinion, as the old fashioned mercury thermometers, so there's some degree of error there too.
Like I mentioned earlier, your body temp usually goes up in the evenings, and for women, it changes during parts of their menstrual cycle, so there are going to be minor differences. As a nurse, I'd look at the whole picture if you came to me - see what other symptoms you might have that would indicate a fever and infection somewhere.
I know there are other nurses and a doctor or two here, so maybe they could chime and and answer better than I can.
Hope that didn't sound as confusing as it seems to me! :o
Lori
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Wow, Lori. Even though you don't even play a doctor on TV, that was an amazing answer - and it makes perfect sense to me.
Jan
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:) Thanks Lori, I did understand what you wrote!
Prayers to your doctors, nurses and you on your upcoming surgery. May you wake with good results!