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Hydrotherapeutic Heat Application as Support in Febrile Patients: A Scoping Review
Hanno S Krafft1, Christa K Raak1, David D Martin1,2
1Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
|August 29, 2022
Summary
Fever management can include heat application, a common practice in Asian and Middle Eastern regions. This integrative approach may improve comfort and conserve energy during fever, warranting further research for clinical guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Hydrotherapy
- Fever Management
Background:
- Conventional fever treatment focuses on reducing body temperature with medication.
- Complementary and integrative health care explores supporting patients during fever.
- Hydrotherapy is often used for cooling, but heat application is also considered.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review identifying evidence on heat application for fever management.
- To understand how, when, and why heat is applied to febrile patients.
Main Methods:
- Searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, COCHRANE, Google, and Google Scholar.
- Included publications on heat application in febrile conditions across diverse settings.
- Analyzed 7 relevant studies from 1698 identified publications.
Main Results:
- Heat application methods included warming blankets, hot packs, hot-water bottles, and footbaths.
- Temperatures around 40°C were commonly used.
- Studies reported a significant decrease in body temperature after heat application.
Conclusions:
- Hydrotherapeutic heat application is a recognized and valued method in Asian and Middle Eastern regions for supporting febrile patients.
- Heat application may enhance comfort, prevent excessively high fevers, and conserve energy during fever.
- High-quality research is needed to integrate heat application into future fever management guidelines and integrative health care.
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