![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: The learner will learn the factors that may affect the febrile response in patients.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to learn the possible implication of febrile response in clinical setting.
Background
Fever is considered a hallmark sign of infection; however, the reasons why some patients suffer from infection without manifesting a febrile response were not fully explored.
Purpose
The aims of this study were to examine factors that affect body temperature of febrile response in patients with healthcare-associated bloodstream infection (BSI).
Method
This was a retrospective cohort study using medical records as the primary source of research data. Six hundred subjects with healthcare-associated BSI were identified from the infection control data bank of a medical center as an accessible population. Two indicators were used to measure changes in body temperature: temperature at the onset, and magnitude of fever during the period of infection.
Results
The sample consisted of 230 patients (134 males and 96 females) between the ages of 19 and 94. The mean baseline temperature was 36.33°C with no age difference. The mean temperature at the onset of infection was 38.33°C. Multiple regression analysis revealed white blood cell (WBC) count, severity of co-morbidity, body weight, and microbial classification were significant predictors of temperature at the onset of infection. However, these factors predicted only 7.4% of the variance of onset temperature. General Estimating Equation analysis demonstrated WBC count, age, severity of co-morbidity, physical function and microbial classification were significant predictors of the magnitude of fever.
Conclusions
This study revealed that WBC count, severity of co-morbidity, and microbial classification have effects both on onset temperature and magnitude of temperature change during the period of infection. The finding indicates febrile response is a complex biophysical adaption with multiple determinants. It also provided a base for future prospective studies of the biophysical factors related to fever responses.