The Anatomy of Temperature - Research Paper Example

Temperature Anatomy The anatomy of temperature is fairly simple. The human body temperature is part of a homeostatic mechanism to keep the body at around 37 degrees Celsius (Norman, 2000). The reason for this is that temperature is very important in chemical reactions, as it can have a dramatic effect on the speed of these, and a vast number of reactions occur in the body daily (Henderson, 1964). Additionally, the human body is reliant on a number of enzymes, many of which are at optimum operating levels at this temperature, with higher temperatures possibly leading to the denaturation of these (Timby, 2008). It is important to keep temperature at roughly this level, as extremely high or low temperatures can cause a number of problems. Temperature is also an important indicator of other problems, with high temperature being indicative of fever (which usually signals an infection) and therefore can be useful in determining the health of the patient (Miller, 2009). Essential Principles Evidently, a nurse needs to be aware of how to check the temperature of a patient as it is important in so many ways. There are four major areas from which a temperature can be taken; oral, rectal, gut and skin-based (including ear and forehead). Other areas can sometimes be used, such as the vagina (Timby, 2008). The first four are the most consistent with the body temperature and therefore are the most useful in determining the true temperature of the patient. The oral temperature is the easiest of these measurements to take, although it is generally slightly lower than the ‘core’ temperature because it is influenced by outside factors such as eating and talking (Blainey, 1974). An oral thermometer can be placed below the tongue to take this reading. The skin measurements, such as the ear and the forehead, tend to be more susceptible to changes in outside temperature and the clothing of the individual, and therefore have different ranges of what can be considered normal and healthy (Ilsley et al, 1983). Skin temperatures can easily be taken by the patient using a plastic thermometer strip, which is useful for patients who do not require hospitalization but may require some temperature monitoring (Funnell et al, 2008). This simply needs to be placed against the forehead and the approximate measurement given should be noted (Hegner et al, 2009). The gut temperature is the most difficult to take, although it is most accurate, as it involves swallowing a small thermometer. The ear has become one of the most popular ways of testing the temperature of the individual in recent years. This is because the eardrum is thought to closely mirror the temperature of the core (White, 2005). To take a temperature in this way, an ear thermometer can be placed into the ear canal of the individual, where the infrared temperature from the tympanic membrane will be recorded (White, 2005). This is excellent because it is not as invasive as taking a rectal or vaginal temperature, which requires the patient to undress and a body-heat thermometer to be fully inserted. Evidence Base The temperature is a very easy way of learning something about the patient. A fever (indicated by high temperature) suggests that the patient as an infection, and therefore can be used in diagnostic practise. Hyperthermia can also be important in a patient and is indicated by high temperature. This is also known as heat stroke, and can cause nausea, confusion and headache (White, 2005). Knowing the temperature of the patient in this case can help the nurse to understand how severe the case is and what kind of treatments are appropriate. It is very important not to confuse fever and hyperthermia (although the temperature-related symptoms are very similar) for a number of reasons, and so temperature alone should not be used in diagnostic cases. The main difference is that fever comes from a controlled action from the human brain as a reaction to a pathogen (or other disturbance) whilst hyperthermia involves a raise in core temperature without the consent of the homeostatic brain controls (Ilsley et al, 1983) which can make it more dangerous. Body temperature is also important in cases of hypothermia (Bernthal, 1999). This is diagnosed partially by the presence of an extremely low core body temperature and comes from exposure to extremely cold weather (White, 2005). This can lead to shivering and mental confusion, and severe hypothermia can be very difficult for a patient to recover from. Hypothermia is fairly common in the population although it is generally mild, which makes it even more important that a nurse would know how to recognize the signs of the illness and how to identify an abnormally low body temperature (Sund-Levander et al, 2002). Knowing the core body temperature of the individual is again important in knowing the course of treatment that is appropriate for the patient as well as understanding the likelihood that they will recover (Kaveevivitchai et al, 2009). Personal Reflection As a nursing student, I understand that it is very important to know how to take the temperature of the patient. It is also very important to know what this body temperature represents. With practise, I have become better at taking the temperature and more calm and reassuring to the patient, which is important as changes in temperature can cause confusion and distress for these people. I am now able to tell the difference between a ‘normal’ temperature and abnormally low and high temperatures. I have also learnt that there are quite often differences in the temperatures of different individuals as this depends on a lot of factors, and each person can have fluctuations of temperature, particularly if they are women (Bergstrom et al, 1992). It is particularly important for me as a nurse to understand how to take a temperature properly as it is one of the first measurements that we take because it is so important. I would really like to get as much practise as possible in this area because I wouldn’t like to cause anyone any distress and as it is so common it is important to get it right every time for every patient. References Bergstrom, N., Braden, B., others, 1992. A prospective study of pressure sore risk among institutionalized elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 40, 747. Bernthal, E.M., 1999. Inadvertent hypothermia prevention: the anaesthetic nurses’ role. British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) 8, 17. Blainey, C.G., 1974. Site selection in taking body temperature. The American journal of nursing 74, 1859–1861. Funnell, R., Koutoukidis, G., Lawrence, K., 2008. Tabbner’s Nursing Care: Theory and Practice. Elsevier Australia. Hegner, B.R., Acello, B., Caldwell, E., 2009. Nursing Assistant: A Nursing Process Approach - Basics. Cengage Learning. Henderson, V., 1964. The nature of nursing. The American journal of nursing 64, 62–68. Ilsley, A.H., Rutten, A.J., Runciman, W.B., 1983. An evaluation of body temperature measurement. Anaesthesia and intensive care 11, 31. Kaveevivitchai, C., Chuengkriankrai, B., Luecha, Y., Thanooruk, R., Panijpan, B., Ruenwongsa, P., 2009. Enhancing nursing students’ skills in vital signs assessment by using multimedia computer-assisted learning with integrated content of anatomy and physiology. Nurse Education Today 29, 65–72. Miller, C.A., 2008. Nursing for Wellness in Older Adults. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Norman, D.C., 2000. Fever in the elderly. Clinical infectious diseases 31, 148–151. Sund-Levander, M., Forsberg, C., Wahren, L.K., 2002. Normal oral, rectal, tympanic and axillary body temperature in adult men and women: a systematic literature review. Scandinavian journal of caring sciences 16, 122–128. Timby, B.K., 2008. Fundamental Nursing Skills and Concepts. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. White, L., 2005. Foundations Of Nursing. Cengage Learning. Read More