Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Blocked stents, fever and when to come back urgently | CION Cancer Clinics
Fever or shivering in someone with a bile duct stent can mean the stent has blocked and the trapped bile is infected. Go to hospital the same day. This page lists the warning signs, from returning jaundice to confusion, explains what the hospital will do to clear the infection and unblock the drainage, and covers how families can be ready before anything goes wrong. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists explain liver cancer in plain words and plan care around you and your family.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Is fever after a bile duct stent an emergency?
- What are the signs that a stent is blocking?
- What will the hospital do for a blocked, infected stent?
- What do the words on the report mean?
- What do families often believe about fever with a stent?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about blocked stents and fever
The short answer
Is fever after a bile duct stent an emergency?
Yes. A fever or shivering in someone with a bile duct stent should be treated as an infection in the bile ducts until a doctor proves otherwise. Go to hospital today, not tomorrow morning.
Why it is taken so seriously
A stent holds a narrowed bile duct open so bile can drain into the gut. Over time, sludge, debris or tumour can block it. When bile stops flowing, bacteria can multiply in the trapped bile. This infection is called cholangitis. It can spread into the blood quickly and make a person very unwell within hours, so early antibiotics and unblocking the drain matter.
Who this page is for
It is written for people with bile duct cancer, near the top of the ducts (perihilar) or lower down (distal), who have a plastic or metal stent or a drain through the skin, and for the family members caring for them at home. The same warning signs apply to stents placed for pancreatic cancer. If you are still deciding which stent to have, read plastic stent or metal stent first.
Keep the stent report and the name of the hospital that placed it in your phone. You will be asked for both.
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Go to hospital today if any of these happen
Fever, or shivering and shaking you cannot stop. Yellow eyes or skin coming back after it had cleared. Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen with fever. Confusion, unusual drowsiness or fainting. Go to the nearest emergency department the same day and say the person has a bile duct stent and cancer. Do not wait to see whether a fever tablet brings the temperature down, and do not wait for a scheduled review.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhat to watch for
What are the signs that a stent is blocking?
Some signs come slowly over days. Others arrive within hours. Both mean the stent needs checking.
Signs of infection
These need hospital the same day.
- Fever, chills or a shaking spell
- Feeling suddenly very weak or faint
- New confusion or drowsiness
Signs that bile is backing up
These often come before a fever. Call your team the same day.
- Yellow eyes or skin returning
- Dark, tea-coloured urine
- Pale or clay-coloured stools
- Itching that comes back
Signs with a drain through the skin
Less fluid draining into the bag than usual, leaking around the tube, or the tube slipping out. Call the team that placed it.
What is usually not a blocked stent
Mild tiredness during chemotherapy, or a day of loose stools without fever or yellowing. Mention these at your next visit, and act sooner if anything above appears.
At the hospital
What will the hospital do for a blocked, infected stent?
Blood tests and a drip
Blood is taken to check for infection and to see how well the liver is clearing bile. Blood cultures look for bacteria in the blood. Fluids are given through a vein.
Antibiotics straight away
Antibiotics through a drip usually start before every result is back. Delay is the danger, which is why arriving early matters.
A scan
An ultrasound or CT shows whether the ducts above the stent have widened again, which points to a blockage.
Unblocking the drainage
A repeat ERCP, a camera passed through the mouth, can clean or swap a plastic stent, or place a new stent inside a metal one. Sometimes a drain through the skin is needed instead. These procedures are done by gastroenterologists and interventional radiologists.
Back to the cancer plan
Chemotherapy is usually paused until the infection settles. Your oncologist then decides when it is safe to restart.
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On your discharge sheet
What do the words on the report mean?
- Cholangitis
- An infection inside the bile ducts, usually because bile is trapped behind a blockage.
- Stent occlusion
- The stent has blocked, with sludge, debris or tumour, so bile cannot pass through it.
- Stent migration
- The stent has moved out of position, so it no longer holds the narrowed part open.
- Sepsis
- An infection that has spread into the blood and is affecting the whole body. It needs urgent hospital care.
- Bilirubin
- The yellow substance in bile. A rising level on a blood test suggests bile is backing up again.
- Stent exchange
- Removing an old stent and placing a new one, usually during a repeat ERCP.
Commonly believed
What do families often believe about fever with a stent?
"It is just a viral fever. We will see the doctor at the next visit."
With a stent in place, fever is treated as a bile duct infection until proven otherwise. Waiting a day can turn a treatable infection into a dangerous one. Go to hospital today.
"The fever came down with a tablet, so the problem has passed."
A fever tablet can lower the temperature while the infection carries on underneath. The blocked stent still needs checking, and antibiotics still need starting.
"Going back to hospital means the cancer has got worse."
Not necessarily. Stents block from sludge and debris in people whose cancer is stable. A blockage says the stent needs attention. It does not, by itself, tell you about the tumour.
"We live far from Hyderabad, so we should travel back to the original hospital."
Go to the nearest hospital with an emergency department first. Antibiotics can start there. Call your treating team on the way, so they can advise on unblocking the stent.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether a particular fever is from the stent. Only an examination, blood tests and a scan can answer that, and the safe assumption is that it might be. This page is a guide to when to act, not a way to decide at home.
Who does what
At CION, your oncologist and the tumour board plan treatment around the stent, and decide when chemotherapy can restart after an infection. Repeat ERCP, stent exchange and drains through the skin are arranged through accredited partner hospitals. For life with a drain, see living with an external biliary drain.
Who this does not apply to
Fever during chemotherapy without a stent has its own rules. Fever after TACE or ablation is covered on the post-embolisation syndrome page. If you are unsure which applies, treat the fever as urgent and go to hospital.
Ask your team now, while you are well, which hospital to go to at night and who to call. Write it down for the whole family.Questions we are asked
Common questions about blocked stents and fever
How do I know if a biliary stent is blocked?
The usual signs are yellow eyes or skin coming back, dark urine, pale stools and returning itching. Fever and shivering suggest the trapped bile has become infected. A blood test and a scan confirm it. Any of these signs mean you should call your team the same day.
Can a blocked stent be fixed?
Usually, yes. A plastic stent can be swapped for a new one, and a blocked metal stent can often be opened by placing another stent inside it. If that is not possible, a drain through the skin is another option. Antibiotics treat the infection alongside.
Why does the fever come with shivering?
Shaking chills often mean bacteria are entering the blood from the infected bile. It is one of the clearest signs that the person needs hospital today. Wrap them up, keep them drinking water if they can, and travel straight to the emergency department.
Can we give paracetamol at home first?
Ask your doctor what is safe for your liver in advance. Whatever you give, do not let a lower temperature delay the hospital visit. A tablet hides the fever without treating the blocked stent behind it. See also fever in liver cancer.
Will chemotherapy be stopped after an infection?
It is usually paused while the infection is treated and the drainage is fixed. Once blood tests settle and the person is eating and moving again, the oncologist decides when to restart. A pause for a stent problem is common and planned for.
Can stent blockages be prevented?
Not completely. Plastic stents are often changed on a planned schedule before they block. Keeping that appointment matters, even when you feel well. Ask your team when the next change is due and write the date where the family can see it.
Is it normal to have pain after a stent change?
Mild discomfort in the upper abdomen for a day or so can happen. Severe pain, pain spreading to the back, vomiting or fever after the procedure are not normal. They need a doctor the same day, because they can signal inflammation of the pancreas or an infection.
Who do we call at night?
If there is fever, shivering or confusion, go straight to the nearest emergency department rather than waiting for a call back. For questions that are not urgent, call the CION helpline and someone will connect you with your treating team.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Palliative Therapy for Bile Duct Cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Treatment for bile duct cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)
- MedlinePlus — Jaundice
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Plastic stent or metal stent: what decidesWhy your stent type affects how blockages are fixedPercutaneous biliary drainage and the bag you go home withThe option when a stent cannot be clearedLiving with an external biliary drainDaily care and warning signs with a drainCholangitis after a biliary stent or drainMore on the infection itself
Talk to us
Worried about a stent that keeps blocking?
Bring the stent reports and recent scans and a CION oncologist will review how drainage fits into the treatment plan. One helpline serves every CION centre.