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Case Reports
. 1990 Mar-Apr;8(2):135-9.
doi: 10.1016/0736-4679(90)90222-h.

"Cotton fever": a benign febrile syndrome in intravenous drug abusers

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Case Reports

"Cotton fever": a benign febrile syndrome in intravenous drug abusers

D W Harrison et al. J Emerg Med. 1990 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Cotton fever is a benign, self-limited syndrome that may mimic sepsis in intravenous drug addicts. We present an illustrative case and a review of the literature. Serious illness such as pneumonia and infectious endocarditis must always be considered in febrile addicts. However, trivial illness accounts for 16% to 26% of such fevers. Recent evidence suggests that emergency physicians are able to diagnose trivial illness with 93% specificity in febrile adult drug addicts. Short-term observation units may be an alternative to hospital admission for febrile drug users with a presumptive diagnosis of trivial illness and in those in whom the diagnosis of cotton fever is entertained.

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