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Questions and Answers
What is the mean oral temperature?
What is the typical normal diurnal variation in body temperature?
Where is the rectal temperature typically higher than the oral temperature?
What is the definition of fever?
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What is one of the etiologies of fever?
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What type of fever oscillates less than 1°C daily and doesn't touch normal?
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What is one of the adverse effects of fever?
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What is the increase in heart rate for every 1°C increase in body temperature?
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What is the increase in oxygen need for every 1°C increase in body temperature?
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What is the consequence of fever on body proteins?
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Study Notes
Normal Features of Body Temperature
- Mean oral temperature is 36.8 ± 0.4°C
- Normal diurnal variation is typically 0.5°C (6 A.M. readings < 6 P.M. readings by 0.5°C)
Methods and Sites for Measuring Body Temperature
- Oral temperature: 36.4-37.2°C
- Rectal temperature: 0.5°C higher than oral temperature
- Axillary temperature: 0.5°C lower than oral temperature
- Aural temperature: 0.4°C lower than oral temperature
Definition of Fever
- Fever (Pyrexia) is an elevation of body temperature above 37.4°C
Causes of Fever
- Infectious causes:
- Bacteremia
- Sepsis
- Meningitis
- Endocarditis
- URI
- Sinusitis
- Otitis media
- Pharyngitis
- Pneumonia
- Bronchiolitis
- Urinary tract infection
- Abscess (liver, kidney, pelvis)
- Bone/joint infection
- Hardware infection
- Central line, VP shunt, G-tube
- Inflammatory causes:
- Kawasaki disease
- Juvenile inflammatory arthritis
- Lupus
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
- Other causes:
- CNS dysfunction
- Drug fever
- Life-threatening conditions
Patterns of Fever
- Sustained or Continuous Fever:
- Fever that oscillates less than 1°C daily
- Doesn't touch normal
- Examples: Typhoid fever, Drug fever, Typhus, Neoplasms
- Remittent Fever:
- Fever that oscillates more than 1°C daily
- Doesn't touch normal
- Pattern of most fevers (septic)
- Intermittent Fever:
- Fever that falls to normal each day
- Examples: Malaria
- Periodic or Cyclic Fever:
- Episodes of fever recurring at regular intervals
- Examples: Epstein Fever (Hodgkin's disease), Brucellosis
Adverse Effects of Fever
- Dehydration due to sweating
- Metabolic effects:
- Increased use of body proteins as an energy source (catabolism)
- Increased breakdown of endogenous fat stores (metabolic acidosis)
- Increased need for oxygen (13% for every 1°C increase in body temperature)
- Increased heart rate (10/min for every 1°C increase in body temperature)
- Increased respiration rate (4/min for every 1°C increase in body temperature)
- Precipitates febrile convulsions
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Description
This quiz covers normal body temperature features, methods for measuring body temperature, and the definition of fever. Learn about the different temperature readings and their variations.
