Night Sweats: A Systematic Review of the Literature

@article{Mold2012NightSA,
  title={Night Sweats: A Systematic Review of the Literature},
  author={James W. Mold and Barbara J. Holtzclaw and Laine H. McCarthy},
  journal={The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine},
  year={2012},
  volume={25},
  pages={878 - 893}
}
Background: Much of primary care involves helping patients manage symptoms. Nighttime sweating is a symptom linked to menopause, malignancies, autoimmune diseases, and infections. However, in primary care settings, night sweats are commonly reported by persons without these conditions. Methods: We conducted a literature review, focusing on questions about definition, mechanisms, incidence/prevalence, measurement, clinical causes, evaluation, treatment, and prognosis. We limited our search to… 
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Night Sweats in a Primary Care Population
TLDR
Use of SSRIs may well be associated with night sweats in older patients, and associations found between night sweats and ARBs and thyroid hormone supplements warrant further study.
Dronabinol for the Treatment of Paraneoplastic Night Sweats in Cancer Patients: A Report of Five Cases.
TLDR
Treatment of five patients with advanced cancer with synthetic orally administered dronabinol resulted in the successful management of persistent symptomatic paraneoplastic night sweats.
An analysis of the efficacy of reducing daily spices and simple carbohydrates intake on treating night sweats in toddlers
Hyperhidrosis in palliative care patients
TLDR
Anti-inflammatory, anticholinergic and antiadrenergic properties of some medicines can be effective in the symptomatic treatment of hyperhidrosis, but its effectiveness was not confirmed in randomised control trials.
Alternative treatment for hot flashes.
Nocturnal sweating—a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnoea: the Icelandic sleep apnoea cohort
TLDR
The prevalence of frequent nocturnal sweating was threefold higher in untreated OSA patients than in the general population and decreased to general population levels with successful PAP therapy.
Night Sweats as a Prominent Symptom of a Patient Presenting with Pulmonary Embolism
TLDR
The first case of drenching night sweats is reported as one of the presenting symptoms of submassive pulmonary embolism, a common, potentially fatal disease, and observation can help make an earlier diagnosis.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Paediatric night sweats—when to reassure and when to investigate
TLDR
3yearold Susie has been referred to the medical paediatric clinic by her general practitioner with sweating at night and her parents change Susie’s pillowcase whilst she is asleep at around 11pm as her hair looks wet with sweat.
Predictors of Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome in an Urban Setting: A Retrospective Cohort Study
TLDR
Male gender, weight loss, night sweats, moderate to severe chest X-Ray findings, involvement of both lungs, smear positivity and smoking history were significant predictors of poor anti-tuberculosis treatment outcomes, while smear negativity is a significant predictor of good treatment outcomes.
Selection of psychotropics in dermatologic practice
TLDR
The present review provides a framework for use of psychotropic agents in dermatological settings and is intended to serve as a ready reckoner for the dermatologist.
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References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 171 REFERENCES
Diagnosing night sweats.
TLDR
Patients with night sweats should consider a purified protein derivative, complete blood count, human immunodeficiency virus test, thyroid-stimulating hormone test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate evaluation, chest radiograph, and possibly chest and abdominal computed tomographic scans and bone marrow biopsy.
Clinical inquiries. What's the best diagnostic evaluation of night sweats?
There is no single best evidence-based approach to the diagnostic evaluation of night sweats, given the limited number of studies on the subject. A detailed history, however, does appear to be the…
Nabilone for the treatment of paraneoplastic night sweats: a report of four cases.
  • V. Maida
  • Medicine
    Journal of palliative medicine
  • 2008
TLDR
This paper serves to report on the successful management of four patients suffering from persistent paraneoplastic night sweats using the synthetic orally administered cannabinoid nabilone.
Prevalence and Predictors of Night Sweats, Day Sweats, and Hot Flashes in Older Primary Care Patients: An OKPRN Study
TLDR
Many older patients are bothered by night sweats, day sweats, and hot flashes, and though these symptoms are similar and related, they have somewhat different associations with other variables.
Associations Between Night Sweats and Other Sleep Disturbances: An OKPRN Study
TLDR
Night sweats are associated with several sleep symptoms and clinicians should consider asking about sleep quality and sleep-related symptoms when their patients report night sweats.
The Prognostic Implications of Night Sweats in Two Cohorts of Older Patients
  • J. Mold, F. Lawler
  • Medicine, Psychology
    The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
  • 2010
TLDR
Patients who report night sweats on a primary care health history questionnaire do not seem to be at increased risk for mortality, after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, education, and income.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Sweating in a Hospice Population
TLDR
The epidemiology of sweating in patients with advanced cancer on admission to a London hospice is described and sweating is highlighted as a significant problem in this group of patients.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Night Sweats Upon Admission to a University Hospital
TLDR
Among nonobstetric patients, night sweats were associated with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate gland, and severe NS with the use of antipyretics, and among nonobStetric patients among patients admitted to medicine, surgery, and obstetric, and gynecology services, they were not associated with elevated temperature measurements during hospitalization.
Gender-specific differences in a patient population with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.
Night sweats. A dominant symptom in diabetes insipidus.
TLDR
The diagnosis of diabetes insipidus was subsequently established and the night sweats responded to injections of pitressin, and the absence of nocturia was attributable to dilatation of the urinary collecting system.
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