What is the most common cause of postoperative fever after the first postoperative day?

What is the most common cause of postoperative fever after the first postoperative day?

• A. Wound infection
• B. Atelectasis
• C. Urinary tract infection
• D. Deep vein thrombosis

Answer: (A)

Fever that arises after the first postoperative day is most often due to an infectious process, with the wound itself being the most common source among common postoperative infections. The initial fever right after surgery is typically the normal inflammatory response to tissue injury, but if fever persists beyond day one, infection becomes the leading concern. Atelectasis has been historically taught as a cause of postoperative fever, but it is not a reliable or frequent culprit once you move past the immediate postoperative period. Urinary tract infection and deep vein thrombosis can cause fever as well, but they are less common sources than a wound infection in this context. So the best explanation for fever after day one is a wound infection developing in the surgical site.

Fever that arises after the first postoperative day is most often due to an infectious process, with the wound itself being the most common source among common postoperative infections. The initial fever right after surgery is typically the normal inflammatory response to tissue injury, but if fever persists beyond day one, infection becomes the leading concern. Atelectasis has been historically taught as a cause of postoperative fever, but it is not a reliable or frequent culprit once you move past the immediate postoperative period. Urinary tract infection and deep vein thrombosis can cause fever as well, but they are less common sources than a wound infection in this context. So the best explanation for fever after day one is a wound infection developing in the surgical site.