Antipyretic therapy in patients with sepsis.

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by a systemic inflammatory response to infection. Mortality rates in sepsis have remained high, despite recent advances in our understanding of the immunological mechanisms that cause sepsis. Fever, a nonspecific acute-phase response, has been associated with improved survival and shortened disease duration in some infections. This article reviews the biological effects of fever and the influence of antipyretic therapy on the outcome in sepsis in experimental models and in humans and offers clinical recommendations for antipyretic therapy in early and late stages of the disorder.