Hyperpyrexia vs. Hyperthermia

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2009

I found this from a non reliable source (wikipedia) if I had my Itouch on me I would look it up on the Medical Apps I have on there but alas I am to lazy to go to my car and get it LOL

Hyperpyrexia differs from hyperthermia in that in hyperpyrexia the body's temperature regulation mechanism sets the body temperature above normal temperature, then generates heat to achieve this temperature, while in hyperthermia the body temperature rises above its set point.

MyBrainIsFull · Sep 21, 2009

Thank you. My text said something similar, but I guess what confuses me is the interventions are not the same and I don't quite understand the rationale. For example for hyperthermia, tepid baths/sponge bathing is recommended, but my nursing text says those will not work on a fever. I just cant' quite wrap my mind around why that is the case. :confused:

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2009

Thank you. My text said something similar, but I guess what confuses me is the interventions are not the same and I don't quite understand the rationale. For example for hyperthermia, tepid baths/sponge bathing is recommended, but my nursing text says those will not work on a fever. I just cant' quite wrap my mind around why that is the case.

I am a metaphor person so bare with me LOL

The way it seems to me is think of Hyperthermia like this, you have the temp set in your house at 75 degrees, but while you were out that sun came blazing and now even though you have it set for 75 your house is about 80 inside, not because you set it wrong but because of other causes, so you open some windows, turn on some fans, close the shades to make it dark. Just like putting someone in a cool bath and and stuff, it's not that their set temperature rate is wrong, it's that for whatever the cause, their body is raising above that and you are needing to bring it back down.

In Hyperpyrexia you have set your heater for 90 as the set rate and now the heater is coming on to achieve these, the body has set it's set rate above the normal and the body is heating itself up to reach this goal. The cool water won't help just like opening the windows won't help because that heater is going to keep on cranking until it reaches that 90 degrees.

Does that help at all???

Hopefully I am understanding the definitions correctly or else I probably just made this much worse on you LOL

So I am thinking more on this, perhaps Hyperthermia is caused from outside sources and that is why you can do things like the cool water to cool down, just like hypothermia is usually related to outside sources.

Hyperpyrexa is an inside thing with the body, *internally cooking* and that is why outside sources such as the cool water won't really help??

MyBrainIsFull · Sep 21, 2009

wow, thanks, my brain really works well with metaphors too, now I understand! Thanks so much. :yeah:

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2009

wow, thanks, my brain really works well with metaphors too, now I understand! Thanks so much.

You're very welcome. I am always having to ask my study partner to put things into a metaphor for me LOL Now let's just hope I explained it correctly and not backwards, besides, I just learned something myself so THANK YOU!