Fever in recently injured quadriplegic persons

Abstract

Two previously healthy adult patients with recent trauma to the cervical spinal cord and daily febrile episodes were evaluated extensively. No infectious or other cause for their fevers could be identified other than cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics, anticoagulation, and cessation of all medications was ineffective, and both patients spontaneously became and remained afebrile after several months. At the same hospital, 17 other recently injured quadriplegic and 22 paraplegic individuals were evaluated over an 18-month period with no unexplained episodes of fever. Despite current diagnostic and treatment techniques, unexplained fever in quadriplegic patients does occur.