Improving Evidence-Based Care for Patients with Pyrexia

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art & science literature review

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Improving evidence-based care for patients with pyrexia
Scrase W, Tranter S (2011) Improving evidence-based care for patients with pyrexia. Nursing Standard. 25, 29, 37-41. Date of acceptance: December 29 2010.

Summary
Fever or pyrexia is a common clinical condition which nurses treat regularly. Fever and hyperpyrexia are defined in this article with a physiological explanation for this adaptive response. Suppression of temperature elevation prevents the production of antibodies and inhibits cell repair. The aim of this literature review is to encourage nurses to support patients with pyrexia by meeting their subjective needs, providing comfort and avoiding complications.

Authors
Wendy Scrase, nurse, Bryn Llifon nursing home, Bangor, and Siobhan Tranter, lecturer in nursing, School of Health Care Sciences, Bangor University. Email: [e-mail]

Keywords
Evidence based practice, fever, temperature measurement These keywords are based on subject headings from the British Nursing Index. All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software. For author and research article guidelines visit the Nursing Standard home page at www.nursing-standard.co.uk. For related articles visit our online archive and search using the keywords.

THIS ARTICLE examines the delivery of care to a patient with fever (pyrexia) and evaluates the evidence base for the safe care of such patients. Current knowledge and understanding of the process of fever as an adaptive response has not resulted in changes to clinical guidelines or nursing interventions. Metabolic heat accelerates chemical reactions, which increases antibody production and assists the body’s cells to repair. Commonly prescribed antipyretics inhibit inflammatory action, reduce the temperature, mask the underlying signs of disease and impair the

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Woodrow P (2003) Assessing temperature in older people. Nursing Older People. 15, 1, 29-31. NURSING STANDARD march 23 :: vol 25 no 29 :: 2011 41 Copyright of Nursing Standard is the property of RCN Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder 's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.