Question

A 25 year old male patient presents to the office with a cc of left arm pain and generalized malaise of 1 week duration following a dirt bike accident. Laceration of skin on dorsum of left forearm with erythema, edema, and the presence of purulent discharge from wound. Patient was alert. Temperature and respirations were elevated. Wound was irrigated, swabbed, and injected with antibiotic before being dressed and bandaged. The doctor prescribed medications listed below. Culture results came back positive for gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus. Patient was instructed to follow medication therapy as prescribed and to follow up with doctor if pain, redness, and/or discharge in arm worsened or did not subside.

Based on the information provide above in Scenario 2 Explain why the doctor did not prescribe antipyretic to this patient.

Answer 1

The fever is body's reaction to the bacterial infection in the wound. Once the infection is controlled by the antibiotics and wound hygiene, the fever will be subsided on its own and hence there is no need for the antipyretics. Moreover, if the infection spreads through the wound to blood or other parts, the elevation in temperature might help in early detection and treatment which may get masked by the antipyretics.