Highest temp you've seen?

Specialties MICU

Published

Specializes in floor to ICU.

Transfer from M/S floor to our ICU today- emergent transfer. They gave report at the bedside. Septic, I'm sure. He was circling the drain when he came in and proceeded to go downhill. Constant seizing? (He was twitching/spastic). Hx of seizures but Tegretol levels WNL and was on Keppra IV. Has a hx of mental retardation so a baseline mental status is hard to judge. Difficult time getting pulse ox and BP to read because of movement. Finally got a BP reading in the 70s then it tanked to 50s, HR 140s, RR in 40s, put in a rectal probe and his temp read 107.4. :eek: Put cooling blanket on, gave Tylenol supp and applied Bipap. Fast forward a bit: Recheck ABGs showed pH of 6.8, too tired to remember CO2 but it wasn't pretty. Intubated, put in central line, and art line, gave Valium IV, started levo, propofol, numerous NS boluses. Had to stay until 9pm to catch up on all my paperwork. Had another patient that virtually got ignored as I couldn't leave the bedside of my other guy. When I did, I was running to get supplies, or talking to the docs. Thankfully my fellow nurses stepped up and were at the bedside to help me and also check on my other pt. I love my coworkers and charge nurse!

Fastforward: BP came up to 90s, temp was down to 100.4 R when I left. I'm tired and need to go to sleep but my brain won't shut off. I have never seen a temp that high, have you?

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I can't remember precisely, but I want to say 107ish. They were suspecting some form of malignant hyperthermia, although, no recent surgery or anesthesia. If I remember correctly, they were thinking it was related to some psych meds she had been taking. She was on a cooling blanket for a long time, and we actually put ice bags on her. Don't know what ever happened with her. Will have to ask when I go back to work.

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

107 for me too. It was a neuro patient with brain stem herniating.

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Specializes in adult ICU.

108. If I am remembering correctly, the patient had neuroleptic malignant syndrome and survived, but had a very bad outcome (permanent disability.)

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107.6 post op infection and we literally packed the patient in ice. Nothing else worked. The ice did work. He did die a few days later.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

WOW- I can't believe how many posts still are using Fahrenheit! I have had a pt with a temp of 41.3- I think that is about 106F but I didn't know anyone used Fahrenheit anymore.

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Specializes in adult ICU.

We don't use F, actually, but that's how this was reporting so I went with it. I remember telling the doc in the room that the temp was 42 something and he said "What is that in Fahrenheit?" LOL -- so not everybody is used to it, still. I'm actually still not that used to it and prefer F.

I think how you report temps is facility specific and might be regionally specific. The lay public uses Fahrenheit, so I don't think it's ever going to really go away. It is definitely worth it to know both C and F.

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Specializes in floor to ICU.
We don't use F, actually, but that's how this was reporting so I went with it. I remember telling the doc in the room that the temp was 42 something and he said "What is that in Fahrenheit?" LOL -- so not everybody is used to it, still. I'm actually still not that used to it and prefer F.

I think how you report temps is facility specific and might be regionally specific. The lay public uses Fahrenheit, so I don't think it's ever going to really go away. It is definitely worth it to know both C and F.

same here. Just posted in F for easy translation.

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Specializes in CCRN, House Sup, CCT, Unit Director, ICU.

@ General E Speaking, what was the outcome of your patient with the high temp?

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Specializes in NICU.

I had a 26yr old 2 weeks ago with a rectal temp of 106.9. All cultures ended up being negative. Was diagnosed with MS.

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This was a number of years ago so I can't remember exactly what this patient had going on, but I do remember he was a DNR and had cancer. He was afebrile at the beginning of my shift and had been afebrile previously. Judging by respirations he was not going to last more than an hour at most. He had no family there or anyone who was coming and I held his hand. His hand suddenly became quite noticeably very hot - I checked an AXILLARY T and it was 107! Then he expired very shortly after that.

I often wonder if other nurses have ever noticed right before their patient died, this kind of thing happened.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

108.9 F, an old post surgical who was coded on the floor and brough down to the SICU. He only lived about 2 hours after than temp reading.

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