Hello everyone!
So as I understand it, your body starts to heat up to slow down the reproduction of bacteria in your body, thus resulting in a fever.
But how come that you can die of a fever? Does the body not know when to stop heating up?
In: 14
These answers are mostly incorrect. Our bodies are incapable of creating a temperature that is lethal to us. When patients die related to infection, it is usually from a condition called ‘sepsis’ in which a state of inflammation causing collateral damage exists. Sepsis can result in organ injury, activation of clotting in small blood vessels, and death.
The Surviving Sepsis campaign aims to treat potential sepsis earlier by recognition of its symptoms:
– Elevated heart rate
– Increased respiratory rate
– Elevated white blood cell count
– Fever
Any two of four of these symptoms combined with a source of infection is sepsis until proved otherwise.
Not all patient who met criteria will have sepsis, but the diagnostic role reduces the risk of missing a case of sepsis.
Fever is one of the symptoms of sepsis. Controlling fever does not reduce mortality. Early use of antibiotics is the most important action in treating bacterial sepsis.
We have to debunk fever misinformation frequently in the ER. Many people rush their fully immunized children to the ER with runny noses because of concern the tylenol “isn’t working”. We screen them for treatable conditions and sepsis risk and reassure the vast majority.
BTW – the risk of sepsis in children has been incredibly reduced by vaccinations, particularly the H flu and pneumococcal vaccines!
I hope this helps.
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