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Decreased Body Temperature

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...

Increased Body Temperature

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.

Factors Affecting Body Temperature

Factors Affecting Body Temperature

As a nurse, it is vital to understand the factors affecting body temperature to monitor variations and effectively evaluate deviations from regular.
Factors may include:

Methods of reducing fever

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:

Thermoregulation

Thermoregulation

The human body has a sophisticated thermoregulation system that employs negative feedback mechanisms to maintain an optimal core temperature. When the core temperature drops, peripheral and central thermoreceptors send signals to the hypothalamus, activating the heat-promoting center. This center triggers several responses aimed at increasing the core temperature. First, vasoconstriction reduces the flow of warm blood from internal organs to the skin so that the heat is not lost from the skin,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Published on: November 21, 2017

Hypothermia: a double-edged sword.

Maria Chiara Todaro¹, Lilia Oreto, Anjan Gupta

¹Clinical and Experimental Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

|July 21, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Therapeutic hypothermia helps reduce brain damage after cardiac arrest. However, this treatment can cause serious side effects, including rare coronary artery spasms that increase cardiac arrest risk in vulnerable patients.

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Area of Science:

Cardiology
Neurology
Critical Care Medicine

Background:

Therapeutic hypothermia is a standard treatment to mitigate neurological damage following cardiac arrest.
Despite its benefits, hypothermia is linked to significant adverse effects.

Observation:

Hypothermia can lead to various complications, including infections, bleeding, hypotension, and hyperkalemia.
Coronary artery spasm is a rare but serious side effect of therapeutic hypothermia.

Findings:

The occurrence of hypothermia-induced coronary spasm, though infrequent, poses a substantial risk.
This specific complication elevates the danger of ventricular arrhythmias and secondary cardiac arrest.

Implications:

Clinicians must carefully consider the risk of coronary spasm in patients undergoing therapeutic hypothermia, especially those with pre-existing cardiac conditions.
Enhanced vigilance and monitoring protocols may be necessary to manage this rare but critical side effect.
Further research into the mechanisms and prevention of hypothermia-induced coronary spasm is warranted.