The human body is a complex and sophisticated machine in which all components must maintain an intricate balance to ensure optimal functioning. This balance at a specific set point is known as homeostasis. There are many homeostatic variables and the one I find most interesting is temperature, more specifically how our bodies respond to environmental and internal threats by means of thermoregulation. Many different syndromes such as heat stroke, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, malignant hyperthermia and fever can lead to elevation of body temperature. Fever is usually triggered by infection or inflammation while the other syndromes are a result of an imbalance between heat production and heat loss rather than a change in the body temperature set point (Prewitt, 2005). This paper aims to describe the different elements that originate a fever in the human body.
As mentioned above, fever is a defense mechanism the immune system uses to get rid of invading pathogens. The infectious organisms or their products that cause fever are called pyrogens and they can be exogenous (from the outside) and endogenous (internally produced). They are low-molecular-weight proteins that modulate immune, inflammatory and hematopoietic processes in the body (Biddle, 2006). Pyrogenicity is a fundamental biologic property of several cytokines and hence the property of fever links host perturbations during disease with fundamental perturbations in cell biology (Dinarello, 1999). When a microbial infection occurs, it usually causes localized tissue death or injury stimulating the release of inflammatory mediators that attract white blood cells which phagocytize the pathogen and initiate the release of cytokines and prostaglandins: small proteins that faci...
... middle of paper ...
...3-d0c4-4249-acf9-e89dcab7dbc7%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=8
Dinarello, Charles A. Cytokines as Endogenous Pyrogens. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 179, 2, S294-304. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ccsf.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7279ed45-37cf-4243-b68a-177cb17d8075%40sessionmgr10&vid=2&hid=10
Dinarello, Charles A. Infection, fever and exogenous and endogenous pyrogens: some concepts have changed. Journal of Endotoxin Research. 10, 4, 201-218. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ccsf.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4557325b-67c2-4cf7-8180-e64f25901cb6%40sessionmgr14&vid=2&hid=10
Prewitt, Ellen M. Fever: Facts, Fiction, Physiology. Critical Care Nurse, February 2005, 8-16. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.ccsf.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=99f55fc0-18eb-4a99-89c6-58dbd9359ef9%40sessionmgr4&vid=2&hid=8
The body has specific ways of controlling the internal temperature: if the body is too cold then involuntary shivering occurs this causes the skeletal muscles to contract therefore producing heat. When conscious movement occurs the muscles again contract and relax which generate heat to warm the body up. Another way the body increases the temperature unconsciously the hairs all over the body stand on end causing a layer of air to be trapped, which acts like an insulator. When the body is too warm sweat is produced from pores in the skin, as this liquid sits on the skin it slowly evaporates causing the body temperature to drop, however if ...
Inlander, Charles B. and Ed Weiner. Take This Book to the Hospital With You! Emmaus, Penn: Rodale Press, 1985. The New Medicine Show.
Many great historical figures of the scientific community have written on the subject of the same perplexing disease over the centuries (Angus, van der Poll, Finfer, Vincent 2013). Sepsis has been given many names, origins, and etiologies. In the 4th century, Hippocrates declared the disease the cause of organic decomposition, wound festering, and swamp gas (Angus et al. 2013). During the 19th century, Louis Pasteur theorized the disease was the outcome of a pathogenic microorganism in the bloodstream, which resulted in a body-wide infection (Angus et al. 2013). In the 21st century, the medical community made a breakthrough with the discovery of the disease’s link to the inflammatory response system and devised a plan of action to combat the high mortality rates among those infected (Angus et al. 2013). According to Hotchkiss, Monneret, & Payen (2013) the effects of sepsis are well documented, while the molecular processes it utilizes are still being explored; however, new studies are helping to expand our understanding of the centuries old disease.
The immune system, which is composed of cells, proteins, tissues, and organs, is the body’s innate defense against foreign particles that may show to be harmful or infectious to us. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks potentially dangerous organisms and substances that invade our systems. (Durani, Y., 2012) The immune system’s key players include leukocytes, the lymphoid organs, and the lymphatic vessels. Leukocytes are white blood cells that recognize and destroy the harmful invaders. Lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, bone marrow, thymus, and spleen) make and/or store the leukocytes, and lymphatic vessels are a network of tissues that allow for the leukocytes to circulate through blood or the various lymphoid organs. (Durani, Y., 2012)
A patient should remain on bed rest and receive well balanced nutrition. Patients should be restricted from school and or work until fever is reduced and jaundice diminishes. If the patient is vomiting and or has diarrhea, they can be treated with antiemetic medications. Also, adequate water intake is necessary.
From the Chelsea Naval Hospital, overlooking the Boston Bay, I sip on a cup of Joe and browse over the Sports Section of the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, three Bostonians dropped dead from influenza. In examining the extent of the epidemic, Surgeon-General Blue commented to the Times , "People are stricken on the streets, while at work in factories, shipyards, offices or elsewhere. First there is a chill, then fever with temperature from 101 to 103, headache, backache, reddening and running of the eyes, pains and aches all over the body, and general prostration." I gaze out my window, the sun seems brighter than usual and the town more radiant. It must be the victory, for the threat of death due to influenza is pervasive. Outside, children jump rope. With every skip of the jump rope they chant. "I had a little bird." Skip. "Its name was Enza." Skip. "I opened up the window." Skip. "And in-flu-enza."
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 occurred during the midst of World War I, and it would claim more lives than the war itself. The disease erupted suddenly without a forewarning and spread rapidly across the globe. It seemed as though all of humanity had fallen under the mercy of this deadly illness. Influenza had very clear symptoms as described by William Collier in his letter to The Lancet. After a patient seizes their temperature can run up to 105° or more while their pulse averages at about 90 beats per minute. The high temperature and low pulse are frequently combined with epistaxis (nosebleed) and cyanosis (blueness of the skin). The epistaxis is caused by the high temperature and the cyanosis is caused by a lack of oxygen due to the decreased pulse (Kent 34). The author of Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919, Susan Kinglsey Kent, provides a brief history of the pandemic and documents from the time period. Many of the included documents show how unprepared and unorganized governments attempted to contain and control a disease they had never experienced, and how the expectations of the governments changed as a result of their successes and failures.
Admittedly, before reading this book, I had never heard of childbed fever or Semmelweis. With today’s advances in medicine, there was never a need to know. Nevertheless, by taking the steps to publish the story of the life of Semmelweis’ and his important findings, Nuland broke new ground. Nuland was the first to put two and two together to inform the medical and historical fields of this great mans discovery. By writing the Doctors’ Plague, Nuland finally can give Semmelweis the recognition he so thouroughly deserves.
Hello everyone. Now Rachel, I believe you have the fever. This is because you have too much blood. I will put blood sucking leaches on you and this should fix your problem.
(10) Levi B.H., Thomas N.J., Green M.J., Rentmeester C.A. & Ceneviva G.D. (2004), jading in the paediatric intensive care unit: implications for healthcare providers of medically complex children. Paediatric Critical Care Medicine 5 (3), 275–277. (11) Ward. E [1990] Ch. 359.
The next part of this paper will consist of information describing the organs and the normal functions involved in five of the physiological systems in the human body. It will also include one illness...
Christopher Hamlin, “Edwin Chadwick, ‘Mutton Medicine’, and the Fever Question,” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 70 (1996): 233-265.
D. standing near her room, breathing sharply. While asked what has just happened, she answered, ‘I feel dizzy and can faint!’ Mrs. D. then explained that she rose up from her chair in the television room and felt lightheaded. I decided to bring her to the room hoping she would feel less dizziness if she could sit. After consultation with my mentor and third year unit nursing student, I decided to perform measurement of her vital signs. Since only electronic sphygmomanometer was available for me that time, I had to use it for my procedure. Gladly, I discovered that I have already used such equipment in my previous nursing practice. Using the standard sized calf, I found that her blood pressure was 135/85, respirations were 16, and her pulse was 96 beats per minute (bpm). However, I decided to recheck the pulse manually, founding that it was irregular (78 bpm). The patient stated that she felt better after rest. Immediately after the incident I made a decision to explore carefully the medical chart of Mrs. D., along with her nursing care plan. That helped me to discover multiple medical diagnoses influencing her
The patient has high temperature, and extreme sweating as well as visible chills on body.
There are many different infectious organisms that can harm the human body so antigens are produced by the bodies’ immune system to help fight the infectious organisms. There are also antibodies that are produced by the body and target specific viruses and bacteria to get rid of them. Each different antibody is cloned when the virus or bacteria is identified to fight it off. There are also different forms of defense which include skin, mucus membranes, physical and waterproof barriers, and cells shed so microbes don’t colonies. Mucus is important in trapping and not letting and harmful organisms get inside of the body mucus is also constantly getting produced to help keep the body safe. White blood cells help to engulf the harmful organism and when they get inside of the body that called phagocytosis. Macrophages also remember whether the cell is elf or it’s not itself based in proteins. There is also an inflammatory response to when there is an injury or infection so there is blood flow that cases redness and heat. When there is a more widespread infection inside of the body the white blood cells release pyrogens which cause the body temperature to increase. There are specific types of antibodies that are produced to be able to fight against the infection; these cells are called A lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. These antibodies will circulate inside of the blood stream to find the infection and help eliminate it. There also some