COOLING TECHNIQUES FOR HYPERTHERMIA

Course overview

HYPERTHERMIA IS DEFINED AS A BODY TEMPERATURE GREATER THAN 40 C. SEVERAL CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE HYPERTHERMIA. IN SEPSIS, THE IMMUNOLOGIC REACTION TO THE INFECTION MOST OFTEN MANIFESTS AS A FEVER. SOME TOXIC INGESTIONS AND WITHDRAWAL STATES CAN CAUSE ELEVATED BODY TEMPERATURE. CERTAIN MEDICATION REACTIONS CAN ALSO CAUSE HYPERTHERMIA, SUCH AS IN NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME. THE MOST COMMON DISEASE THAT CAN BE TREATED BY COOLING ALONE IS HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS AND HEAT STROKE. HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS IS A SPECTRUM OF DISEASES THAT OCCURS WHEN THE BODY'S THERMOREGULATORY SYSTEM FAILS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH HYPERTHERMIA AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.