Evidence for the non-infectious etiology of early XXXX .

@entity1 @entity281 @entity86
In a prospective study of @entity281 in 871 general surgery @entity1 , we identified 81 @entity1 who developed unexplained postoperative fevers. The majority of these episodes (72%) occurred early (within the first 48 hours) following surgery. @entity1 who developed early, unexplained fevers differed significantly from @entity1 who developed documented postoperative @entity281 . @entity1 with unexplained fevers were younger, had less severe underlying disease and underwent less extensive surgeries than @entity1 who subsequently developed @entity281 . In these respects, they were more similar to non-infected, non-febrile @entity1 . We concluded that episodes of early, @entity86 occur frequently in a wide range of general surgery @entity1 . Most of these episodes are non-infectious in origin. @entity1 with early postoperative fevers should be evaluated to identify any obvious sources of @entity281 . If no focus is identified, empiric antibiotic therapy should not be initiated nor should prophylactic antibiotics be extended for prolonged durations. Unexplained fevers will resolve in time without specific therapeutic interventions.
