Fever: A friend or a foe

Abstract

The concept of fever is an interesting subject that has intrigued clinicians for centuries. As pain is an important stimuli to withdraw from a noxious stimuli that may be potentially harmful, so is fever an important sign of a possible microbial invasion. Back and forth, there has been arguments and debates about whether fever is deleterious, a foe, or actually beneficial. There has also been question about whether or not to treat it, and when to treat it. This review article tries to paint a broad picture of both sides of this coin.