Epidural-related fever is common, but it is a diagnosis of exclusion. Chorioamnionitis and other infections can present the same way and carry risk to mother and baby.
Check for maternal tachycardia, uterine tenderness, offensive liquor and fetal tachycardia, and involve the obstetric team. Follow local sepsis and intrapartum fever pathways, and let the neonatal team know if the mother was febrile.
- Check maternal heart rate, uterine tenderness and liquor.
- Look for fetal tachycardia on the trace.
- Follow the local intrapartum fever and sepsis pathway.
- Inform the neonatal team of maternal fever.
Why it matters
Labelling fever as epidural-related too early can delay treatment of chorioamnionitis.
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