Final answer:
1. Provide a light blanket. The most helpful strategy by the nurse for a patient with chills due to an infection is to provide a light blanket, as it offers comfort without overheating the patient. Other body mechanisms for temperature regulation include sweating, blood flow adjustments, and behavioral responses. Strict infection control measures are also vital in a healthcare setting.
Step-by-step explanation:
In treating a patient experiencing chills due to infection, the most helpful strategy by the nurse would be to provide a light blanket. Chills often accompany fever as the body's attempt to increase its temperature to fight off an infection. The muscles contract and relax rapidly (shivering), generating heat. Providing a light blanket can help the patient feel more comfortable without causing overheating. Encouraging a hot shower could potentially raise the patient's body temperature further, and while monitoring temperature every hour is good for observation, it does not provide immediate comfort. Turning up the thermostat might also make the patient excessively warm as chills also mean the body's temperature is already elevated.
Additional mechanisms the body employs to regulate temperature include sweating to dissipate heat through evaporation, vasoconstriction or vasodilation to adjust blood flow, and behavioral responses such as seeking cooler or warmer environments. These mechanisms, together with shivering, help the body to maintain homeostasis.When dealing with infections like the one described in the case of the patient Barbara, it is also important to maintain rigorous infection control measures to prevent the infection from spreading, as well as addressing the source of infection with appropriate medical treatment.