DSA Fever Flashcards
What is a fever?
- A rise in body temperature in response to endogenous cytokines
- 37.4C (99.4F) to 38C (100.4F)
What controls the normal, narrow range of temperature? what is that range?
- preoptic area of the hypothalamus
- 36.0° to 37.8°C (96.8°–100.0°F).
What are chills? night sweats?
- subjective report of shaking/shivering due to rapid change in body temp; involuntary muscle contractions
- nocturnal sweating due to exaggeration of normal circadian temp rhythm
How is a fever created?
EP –> hypothalamus –> fever due to release of PGE2, monoamines, cations, or cyclic AMP
*EP can be stimulated by LPS, lymphokines,
What are the three endogenous pyrogens?
IL1, TNF, interferon alpha
What is hyperthermia?
- elevation in body temp due to loss of homeostatic mechanisms and inability to increase heat loss in response to environmental heat
- levels to 41C (105.8F).
Why are fever and hyperthermia considered the same?
they’re not –>
- hyperthermia is due to inability of body to dissipate heat
- fever is due to EPs
Pt. presents with fever of 105.8F. What is top of your ddx?
hyperthermia
Pt. presents with fever of 101F lasting approximately one month. All cultures are negative, CXR is clear, and CBC is upper limits of normal. What should you suspect?
Fever of unknown origin
*Fever that last 3 weeks or longer with temperatures exceeding 38.3C (100.9F) with no clear diagnosis despite 1 week of clinical investigation
What is the most common cause of fever in older patients?
infection (bacterial)
3 common spots:
- Respiratory tract
- Urinary Tract
- Skin/soft tissue
What malignancies are known to cause fever?
lymphoma, leukemia, renal cell carcinoma, primary or metastatic liver cancer
pt. is prescribed new medication for heart health. Returns to your clinic with high fever. CXR is negative, cultures are negative, CBC is normal. How should you treat?
remove new drug - may have Drug Fever
What is dangerous about chills?
the shaking increases risk of bacteremia
What are the most common causes of nosocomial infections?
- Bacterial
- Non infectious etiologies
- Unknown source
- nonbacterial
Pt. presents, and is dx with FUO. What malignancies should you be concerned of? What infections?
a. Hodgkin’s disease or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
b. TB and intra abdominal abscesses
AA F presents with fever. you notice rash on face, and self reports of arthritis are given. Most likely dx?
SLE
*36% of SLE pts present with fever; and 52% develop one during dx evolution
What three disease have fever on presentation often?
- SLE, Giant cell arteritis, IBD
What are the alarm sx of a fever?
- high fever (>105.8F)
- rash
- change in mentation
- dizzy/light headed
- recent chemo tx
- SOB or chest pain
If high fever is present, consider…
CNS infection, NMS, heat stroke
If rash is present with fever, consider…
meningitis, bacteremia with septic shock, rickettsial disease, bacterial endocarditis