Can there be fever and chills in the postpartum period?

Question

Hi doctor,

My wife aged 24, has fever, cough and severe chill from last 2 weeks. We had all the tests done namely typhoid, dengue, blood tests and urine test including x-ray. Everything seems normal in her reports. Yet, she has all the above mentioned symptoms. We repeated urine and blood test and found some infection in urine. I have attached the reports for your reference. We consulted a doctor here, who suggested it as a respiratory tract infection and urine infection is causing this fever, chills and cough. Her main symptoms are lot of cough with sputum, body temperature in range of 99 to 102. She sweats and temperature reduces to 99. From last two days, she has vomiting in the morning. She is a lactating mother, having a baby of 2 months old. No change in fever/chills and cough from last 2 weeks. My doubts are why fever is not reducing despite antibiotics and medicine like Relent syrup for cough? What can be the further course of diagnosis and treatment? Her period is due in next 2 days. Since she is vomiting, is it a sign of pregnancy?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have mentioned that your wife has delivered two months back. So, she is still in her postpartum period (period of six weeks following delivery of a baby). Any kind of fever with chill we must rule out postpartum infection. For that, proper antibiotics are the drug of choice. Sometimes, to choose the antibiotics, we need to do a high vaginal swab culture. Women, on an average basis, usually do not have period for a couple of months following delivery. It usually lasts for a period for six to twelve months. It is also highly recommended not to engage oneself with physical intercourse in the first six weeks following delivery, to avoid chances of infection. Since your wife had delivered few months back, it is highly unlikely that she could be pregnant. So, in my opinion start her on a broad spectrum antibiotic and also get an ultrasound done for her lower abdomen to rule out any retained product of conception. The vomiting could be due to taking lots of medicine resulting in gastritis.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

As I have said earlier, your wife is still in her postpartum period that stretches up to six weeks. Any kind of fever in that period, we must rule out infection in her uterus first. Cough could be secondary to it. So, ultrasonography should be done to rule out any possible retained product of placenta or membranes. It is difficult to evaluate any further without seeing the patient. The treating gynecologist would be the best person to judge.

Can there be fever and chills in the postpartum period?

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