Which of the following is NOT a cardinal sign of inflammation?

• A. Heat
• B. Redness
• C. Swelling
• D. Fever

Answer: (D)

Fever is not a cardinal sign of inflammation. The classic local signs you look for at the inflamed site are heat, redness, swelling, and pain, produced by vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, and mediators at the tissue. Fever, by contrast, is a systemic response driven by pyrogens that raise the hypothalamic set point to increase body temperature. It can occur with infection or systemic inflammation, but it isn’t a localized sign of inflammation itself.