Confused with Hyperthermia

[Qtip]

I need some help understanding hyperthermia.

Within both books and from instructors I'm getting conflicting answers on what and how hyperthermia is/caused. Maybe I'm just not understanding it? (Pediatric patient by the way, if that matters)

From the Nursing Dx Handbook by Ackley/Ladwig and textbook it defines hyperthermia as "Body temperature elevated above normal range" but then it has a note, differentiating fever from hyperthermia. Where hyperthermia is "an unregulated rise in body temperature and caused by heat stroke, heat illness, etc." Basically saying a rise in heat not caused by infection which is a change in the hypothalmic setpoint.

Then from a careplan text I have under pediatric hyperthermia it lists r/t as respiratory infection. (My patient has pneumonia)

I also had a classmate who was marked down by our instructor for not setting hyperthermia as the priority dx for a pt with pneumonia. When she didnt include the dx because as she and I understood it, fever is not hyperthermia. But if you go by definition of "Elevated body temperature above normal" than fever would be included.

As you can see I'm going in circles here. Any insight would be appreciated. I have a patient with pneumonia, temperature on admission was 104, a day later when i provided care it was around 101 and relieved by Tylenol (from my text hyperthermia is not relieved by antipyretics).

So can/should I used Hyperthermia?

[Cuddleswithpuddles]

You are right. Fever is not the same as hyperthermia. I disagree with your instructor's decision to mark your friend's care plans down. You have to keep in mind that nursing diagnoses are separate entity from medical diagnoses. Obviously related but two different things that may have different criteria depending on what books and resources your school wants you guys to use.

Also, I believe in picking your battles with instructors. I would be more inclined to write my care plans according to the many weirdly particular preferences nursing instructors have than to argue about it.

Sorry about the confusion. Don't get school get in the way of your education hehe ;-)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

ok, here's your problem. you did read correctly that in the nursing diagnosis list by nanda-i 2012-2014, hyperthermia is, indeed, defined as "body temp elevated above the normal range." just because hyperthermia can be caused by external forces or agents doesn't mean it's limited to that. read the defining characteristics and related factors. hyperthermia = elevated body temp. calling it "fever" doesn't change that. this can be as a result of illness, e.g., pneumonia. period.

defining characteristics: convulsions, flushed skin, increase in body temp above normal range, seizures, skin warm to touch, tachycardia, tachypnea

related factors: anesthesia, decreased perspiration, dehydration, exposure to hot environment, illness, inappropriate clothing, increased metabolic rate, pharmaceutical agents, trauma, vigorous activity

hyperthermia is something that will have treatments in both the medical plan of care and the nursing plan of care, regardless of its cause. this is why the instructor is, in fact, right. what nursing measures should be applied here?

hint: "give antibiotics as ordered" is not a nursing measure. it is assumed that you will follow your legal obligation to apply the components of the medical plan of care that fall within your scope of practice.

what your instructor wants to know is if you know, or have found out, what nursing measures, independent of the medical plan of care, the nurse will implement in the care of a person with a higher-than-normal body temperature.

[Qtip]

Awesome, thanks for the responses. It's clearing up now.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

A nursing intervention could be uncovering the patient, lowering the room temperature, use of ice packs or cool wash cloths. As GrnTea stated, "giving abx as ordered" is not a nursing intervention...it is a medical intervention that you, as a nurse, is required to complete because that is within your scope of practice. A nursing intervention is what you, as a nurse, can implement.