Fever in immunocompromised patients: Fiebre en pacientes inmunodeprimidos

Introduction: Fever is a marker of infectious and inflammatory diseases that is caused by an innate immune response and by different mediations between molecular markers. In the immunocompromised patient, one or more immunological mechanisms may be altered because the immune response may be compromised, and fever may denote a serious underlying disease state. An exploratory search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Scielo databases between September and October 2022. The terms fever immunocompromised patients, treatment, and immune system. A total of 41 scientific articles with different epidemiological designs were selected. Objective: To describe aspects related to the pathophysiology of fever, management of the presence of fever in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, as well as in patients who have received solid organ transplants and hematopoietic transplants, neutropenic patients and patients treated with corticosteroids and biological therapy. Developing: The approach to the immunocompromised patient with fever includes fundamental aspects such as an adequate history and physical examination, as well as diagnostic tests aimed at establishing the cause of the fever. In these patients, infections play a leading role and early intervention is essential to impact morbidity and mortality. Conclusions: The immunocompromised patient with the presence of fever presents a challenging panorama for his/her comprehensive medical approach. Among other aspects, it is relevant to consider the type and duration of immunosuppression, as well as the risk factors, to guide diagnoses and treatments.