Fever is a mighty engine which Nature brings into the world for
conquest of her enemies.”— Thomas Sydenham The occasional
abnormal elevation in body temperature associated with infection
is as much a part of the human condition as abstract thought or
the desire to lose weight without exercise or cutting calories.
Commonly known as fever, this powerful yet misunderstood
physiologic response has been documented in a variety of animal
species including fish, reptiles and of course humans. We have
all had fever at least once in our lives, and probably several
times. And many of us have undoubtedly spent a few anxious
nights cradling febrile little ones, afraid more of the
repercussions of the fever itself than the potential sequelae of
the underlying cause. Along those lines, fever is one of the
most common reasons for parents to seek medical care for their
children, with roughly a third of pediatric acute care visits
related to it, as well as a frequent impetus for late night
nursing calls to sleepy hospitalists