TEMPERATURE

• Temperature 


  Difference between the amount of heat produced by body processes and the amount of heat lost to the external environment.

  Heat production - heat loss = body temperature
• 2 types of body temperature

  • Core temperature
  • Surface temperature
• Core temperature 


  Temperature of the deep tissues (eg. Abdominal cavity, pelvic cavity), remains relatively constant
• Surface temperature

  • Temperature of the skin, the subcutaneous tissue, and fat.
  • It rises and falls depending on the blood supply to the skin and the environment
• Factors affecting the body’s heat production

  1. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) 2. Muscle activity (shivering) 3. Thyroxin out put (increases cellular metabolism) 4. Epinephrine, norepinephrine and sympathetic stimulation 5. Fever – increases the cellular metabolic rate and increases the body’s temperature further
• How is heat loss from body?

  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
  • Respiration
  • Evaporation
• Factors affect body temperature

  • Age
  • Cardiac rhythm
  • Exercise
  • Hormones
  • Stress
  • Environment
• Temperature measurement sites

  • Core Site
  • Surface Site
• Core sites

  • Rectum
  • Temporal artery
  • Tympanic membrane
  • Esophagus
  • Pulmonary artery
  • Urinary bladder
• Surface sites

  • Skin
  • Oral cavity
  • Axilla
• NANDA Nursing diagnosis ( related to temperature)

  • Hyperthermia
  • Hypothermia
  • Ineffective thermoregulation
  • Risk for imbalance body temperature