Resumo

RAMON-ROMERO, Fidel  e  FARIAS, José María. Fever. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2014, vol.57, n.4, pp.20-33. ISSN 2448-4865.

One of the most common signs of numerous human diseases, especially infectious ones, is fever, characterized by a temperature generally taken on the skin and higher than 37° C. Historically, fever has been considered a sign of the disease itself. However, recent studies suggested by Evolutive Medicine view, indicate that fever is also a mechanism through which the organism fights external invaders. Here we review the modern concepts about fever as a basis to suggest clinicians to pay attention to fever, avoiding the use of antipyretics to eliminate it, without assessing its possible benefitial effects.

Palavras-chave : Fever; mecanisms; evolutionary advantages.