NUR 170 Detailed Final Exam 2025

What is thermoregulation? - -body temperature Body process that balances production and heat loss Heat produced - heat loss = body temperature What is the goal of thermoregulation? - -to maintain the body's temperature within acceptable/safe range The body wants to maintain homeostasis Body knows where it wants to live (temp. Wise), doing what it can to get back to homeostasis To prevent death Too cold or too hot, death can occur What is homeostasis? - -maintaining a stable internal environment What is cellular respiration? - -glucose and oxygen make energy, with the by product of heat Anything that we do to speed up this process, create more heat Expend more energy, expend heat In regards to body temperature, what happens to a body after a person dies? - -body temp drops because no energy is being created meaning no heat What factors affect heat production? - -basal metabolic rate, muscle activity, thyroxine output, sympathetic stimulation/stress response, fever What is basal metabolic rate? - -the rate of energy utilization the body uses to maintain essential activities Decreases with age: metabolism is slowing down Making older people colder What does muscle activity (exercise) do to body temperature? - -when you exercise, you get hot NURS 170 NURS 170 NURS 170 Exercise increases the need for energy (atp), thus produces byproduct of more heat Shivering when cold, produces energy, producing more heat What does thyroxine output do to body temperature? - -increased thyroxine levels release epinephrine, when it is released, it increases vasoconstriction, we accelerated the cellular metabolic rate, increasing the heat production What is chemical thermogenesis? - -the stimulation of heat production in the body through increased cellular metabolism What is sympathetic stimulation/stress response do to body temperature? - -fight or flight response Walking into exams, anxious or see a question that sends you into fight or flight, you get a rush of heat through body Release of epinephrine and noro-epinephrine, which will increase metabolism, creating more heat What does a fever do to body temperature? - -an immune response that raises the body temperature Not will it raise body temperature, but increase our metabolic needs/rate, increasing energy and thus our by product, heat What are different types of heat loss from the body? - -radiation, conduction, convection, vaporization What is radiation? - -the transfer of heat from the surface of an object without touching Getting hot from the sun's rays (not touching) Dog doesn't touch, waking up sweating because the dog radiates so much heat What is conduction? - -transfer of heat from one molecule to a molecule of lower temperature, needing to be touching Tepid (cool) bath -taking someone with a fever, putting them in a cool bath Ice packs Cool washcloths NURS 170 Heating pad What is convection? - -dispersion of heat by the fluid of air or water across the skin Convection oven has a fan in the back, heat is being dispersed through the fan Heat loss: fan Spritzing water When dog is radiate heat, turn on fan to bring my body temperature down Fluid motion of air comes down and blows it away Amusement park with mist showers What is vaporization? - -continuous evaporation of moisture form repository tract, mucosa of mouth or skin (swat glands) Perspiration when we work out Millions of sweat glands that produce perspiration (sweating), and when the body needs to lose heat (cool) the sweat glands will sweat and then it will evaporate When you sweat, body is trying to drop body temperature How is the heat of the body measured? - -celcius and fahrenheit F = (c x 9/5) + 32 C= 5/9 (f - 32) What controls body temeprature? - -the hypothalamus, which acts as a thermostat, decides what your set point is What is normal body temperature? - -average is 98.6 f = 37 c What does the hypothalamus to in regards to body temperature? - -will elicit a response from the body (produce or lose heat) Goal is to keep body within normal range What does the body do when its cold? - -thermal receptors sends signals to the hypothalamus that they are cold, and the hypothalamus will then vaso-constrict (bv get smaller), which will prevent further heat loss from skin through radiation NURS 170 NURS 170 Body starts to shiver - increasing cellular respiration - increasing muscle movement increasing energy, creating heat What does the body do when its hot? - -thermal receptors send signals to the hypothalamus they they are hot, the hypothalamus will vaso-dilate (bv open up), allowing an increase in heat loss, through the skin (sweating), through radiation Body starts to sweat - increase of heat loss through vaporization You are outside on a cold winter day. Cold sensors are stimulated, initiating a response from the hypothalamus to produce heat. What does it do? - -vaso-constrict You are taking an outdoor brisk walk on a hot day. Your warm skin sensors are stimulated, signaling to the hypothalamus to increase heat loss? What happens? - vaso-dilate What are the core temperature sites? - -within deep tissue and organs Remains relatively constant Ideal temperature reading Rectum, tympanic membrane (ear), temporal (temple), urinary bladder More of inside body What is skin (surface) temperature sites? - -fluctuate depending on environment and blood to the area Skin (patches), oral, axillae (arm pit) Oral can change with drinking More on the outside or skin site What is normothermia and its ranges? - -normal temperature Range: 36-38 degrees c or 96.8-100.4 degrees f These are oral ranges What is the average oral temperature? - -37 c (98.6) What is a normal rectal temperature range? - -0.5 c or 1 f degree higher than oral Just do 1 degree NURS 170 NURS 170 If 38 c is your rectal temperature, you would know your oral temperature would be 37 c -this person does not have a fever What is a normal axillary temperature range? - -0.5 c or 1 f degree lower than oral If 37 c is your axillary temperature, you would know your oral temperature would be 38 c What do you call a fever? - -febrile Begins at 38 c or higher (100.4 degrees f) What is a non-fever called? - -afebrile A 4-year-old with an axillary temperature of 100.1f. Is this consider a fever? Would we treat this temperature? - -since this is taken at the axillary, it would be 101.1 orally, so yes it would be a fever since it is above 100.4 How temperatures documented? - -to the tenths 37.333333 = 37.3 What are thermoregulation considerations for newborns? - -thermoregulation system is not well developed They can produce heat, but lose heat very easily due to the environment Rectal temperatures not recommended (causes greater risk for perforation of rectum) Axillary is recommended What are thermoregulation considerations for children? - -fevers are most common cause of increased temperatures due to infection Can tolerate extremely high temperatures Because of higher toleration, they are risk for febrile seizures What are thermoregulation considerations for older adults? - -changes in the bmr Less sq fat, activity levels may be decreased, and the thermoregulatory ability as younger adults, which makes them more susceptible to changes, especially in environmental temperatures Making them more cold than most NURS 170 NURS 170 NURS 170 If the temperature is elevated, it doesn't always mean they have an infection If an adult has an infection, they may not actually get a fever (elevated temp) More investigating if an infection is going on because a fever may not always be present such as a uti causing confusion What do you do when you are take a temperature assessment? - -determine correct site and device Smoking, exercise and hot or cold liquids can alter oral temperature What is the nurses responsibility for temperature? - -interpret the readings Nursing interventions/actions Determine if number is normal range and what we can do about it What must you include when charting temperature? - -correct t