A woman delivered vaginally three days ago. Which temperature finding meets the standard definition of puerperal pyrexia?

• A Temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more occurring exclusively between days 3 and 10 postpartum
• B Temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius or more sustained for 48 hours after delivery
• C Temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius or more on two consecutive days within the first week
• D Temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more recorded on any occasion within 14 days of delivery ✓

Explanation

The accepted definition of puerperal pyrexia is a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher on any occasion within 14 days after delivery or abortion. The definition is deliberately broad because fever may be the first sign of genital sepsis, urinary infection, mastitis, wound infection, or thromboembolism, and the source often lies outside the genital tract. Restricting the window to the first week or requiring sustained fever misses late-onset sepsis such as mastitis or septic pelvic thrombophlebitis.

Reference: DC Dutta's Textbook of Obstetrics, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.