OBJECTIVE:

To describe the paraclinical tests and the medications indicated to revert the fever in the patients who had it in the following 48 hours after the total abdominal hysterectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective, descriptive, open, uncontrolled study consisting of the review of the records of patients with total abdominal hysterectomy. Patients scheduled in the outpatient clinic were included only for total abdominal hysterectomy with fever in the first 48 hours post-intervention. According to the distribution of each variable, parametric and non-parametric statistics, Wilcoxon test and proportional differences were used.

RESULTS:

Of 181 hysterectomies performed, 34 patients had fever in the first 48 hours after surgery (19%). The surgical time was 116.7 ± 29.4 minutes and the bleeding were 498.5 ± 221.4 mL. The leukocytes were increased by 30% after the detection of fever with respect to the presurgical values; hemoglobin decreased by 14%. The general urine test was reported altered in 29%. The first febrile peak reached 38.6 ± 0.5 °C at 32.8 ± 8.3 hours after surgery with a persistence of 1.5 ± 0.9 days. 44% of patients received an antibiotic after evidence of infectious cause fever; the most indicated were: nitrofurantoin and ciprofloxacin.

CONCLUSIONS:

Given the evidence of the first febrile peak, it is important to perform two laboratory tests: blood count and urinalysis, and based on the reports, decide whether the prescription of antibiotics is necessary.

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