Which symptom is commonly associated with sepsis?

• A. Fever
• B. Cough
• C. Joint Pain
• D. Hair Loss

Answer: (A)

Fever shows up in sepsis because it is a systemic, inflammatory response to infection. Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the body's dysregulated response to infection, and fever is one of the most common signs of that response. Pyrogens released during infection raise the hypothalamic set point, driving up body temperature as the body fights off pathogens. While a cough can occur with respiratory infections, or joint pain with certain conditions, neither of those alone characterizes the widespread, body-wide nature of sepsis. Hair loss is not linked to sepsis. So fever best aligns with the systemic inflammatory picture that defines sepsis.