Question

The nurse is evaluating a new nurse's ability to recognize the different types of fever in clients. Which statements by the new nurse indicates accurate knowledge?

1) "Intermittent fever occurs when the body goes through a wide range of body temperatures throughout a 24-hour period."
2) "A relapsing fever is when the body has short febrile periods of a few days that are interspersed with periods of normal body temperature."
3) "The body can have a constant fever when the temperature remains elevated."
4) d. "A fever spike is when there is a rapid rise in body temperature with a return to normal temperature within a couple of hours."
5) "Remittent fever is when the body temperature alternates between normal body temperature and elevated temperature."

Answer 1

The new nurse accurately identifies types of fever: intermittent, relapsing, constant, and fever spike. The hypothalamus adjusts the body's temperature set point in response to endogenous pyrogens, leading to fever as a defense mechanism.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse is assessing the new nurse's understanding of different types of fever. The statements made by the new nurse that indicate accurate knowledge about types of fever are:

• "Intermittent fever occurs when the body temperature fluctuates, with fever episodes interspersed with periods of normal temperatures within a 24-hour period."
• "A relapsing fever is when the body experiences periods of fever that last a few days followed by periods of normal body temperature."
• "The body has a constant fever when the temperature remains consistently elevated without significant fluctuation."
• "A fever spike is characterized by a sudden, rapid increase in body temperature followed by a return to normal temperature within a couple of hours."

Additionally, the hypothalamus is responsible for maintaining the body's set point for temperature. When endogenous pyrogens are released into the blood, they signal the hypothalamus to reset the thermostat, leading to an increase in body temperature known as fever. This fever response is a defense mechanism of the body, where higher temperatures can inhibit the growth of pathogens and facilitate cellular repair processes. Also, certain biological responses, such as the conservation of iron, enhance the body's ability to fight off infections by reducing nutrients needed by bacteria and increasing enzymes' activities that protect the body while inhibiting those of the invading pathogens.