Characteristics of and interventions for fever in Japan

As part of a larger multinational validation study of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) alpha version, a survey was conducted in Japan to determine characteristics of 'fever' and interventions to treat febrile patients.

Three hundred and fifty-six acute and critical care Japanese nurses participated in this study.

The major and minor characteristics of 'fever' perceived by Japanese nurses and interventions used by the nurses in managing febrile patients were identified using the Diagnostic Content Validity (DCV) model.

Two characteristics, 'increased body temperature' and 'chills' were selected as major characteristics from the standardized list of the ICNP alpha version validation study. Nine characteristics among the standardized list of characteristics were rated as minor characteristics, and six of the ICNP characteristics were rejected. 'Shivering' and 'infectious lab data' were added with a level of representativeness similar to a major characteristic by nine of the nurses. A variety of interventions to treat fever were reported. The most frequently reported intervention was cooling, followed by warming and medication. Nine dimensions were derived from all reported interventions.

As well as perceived characteristics of fever, these interventions may have aspects unique to Japanese nursing practice and to the acute and critical care settings. These results can be compared to those of other populations in future studies.