1: Peds Fever Flashcards
How much does body temp vary from the mean?
0.5 C
When is body temp the lowest?
Morning (4-8 am)
When is body temp the highest?
Early evening (4-6 pm)
What individual and environmental factors affect body temp?
- Age (slightly higher in young infants)
- Sex
- Physical activity
- Ambient air temperature
- Anatomic site
Where is core body temp measured the most accurately?
Pulmonary artery. Other deep tissue locations include lower esophagus and nasopharynx.
Which temp location has the lowest temp and which has the highest?
- Axillary is lowest (97.5 F)
- Rectal is highest (98.6 F)
What body temp qualifies as a fever?
- Rectal > 100.4°F (38°C)
- Oral >100.0°F (37.8°C)
When does cellular damage begin to occur with fevers?
105.8 – 107.6°F (41°C–42°C)
T/F Fever worsens the course of an illness and can cause long-term neurologic complications.
False. No evidence it does either of those.
T/F The primary goal with a fever is to focus on the normalization of body temperature.
False. The primary goal is to improve the child’s overall comfort rather than focus on the normalization of body temperature.
What plays a critical factor in the physiology of fever?
Cytokines
Why should multiple measurements be taken of a fever?
It can be transient. This ensures verification that the fever is not from environmental causes.
What mediates the body’s temperature?
Anterior hypothalamus. Elevation of body temp occurs in response to any insult that stimulates the body’s inflammatory defenses.
_____ controls temperature the body tries to maintain.
Hypothalamic set point controls temperature the body tries to maintain.
Explain the physiology of fever.
- Hypothalamic set point controls temperature the body tries to maintain.
- Induces macrophages to release cytokines that function as endogenous pyrogens. These circulate to anterior hypothalamus and cause an increase in local levels of prostaglandin E2, which induce an increase in the set point.
- Peripheral warm and cold neurons and the temperature of blood circulating in the hypothalamus act on the heat regulatory center to keep the human body at a preset core temperature of ~ 98.6.
