Hello friends! So we have passed the new year 2021, before starting the content, I wish you all a successful new year and all the best.
In this series of questions and exams in English, I will introduce you to the information when we meet a patient with a fever. This is a very common symptom not only in adults but also in children.
Body temperature overview
Air-conditioner body temperature we are controlled by the hypothalamic nuclei that will maintain the body’s set point. Fever occurs when the set point is raised above normal. Then, the hyperthermia responses appear and cause the body temperature to rise with the new benchmark, causing a fever.
Normally, a normal body temperature would be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees C), however it can range from 98.2 ± 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit (36.5 to 37 degrees C). rectum (if measured through the rectum will add 1 degree F compared with normal oral measurement).
Fever is one of the leading causes of a wide range of medical examinations and differential diagnoses. For the diagnosis, a combination of inquiry, examination and necessary tests (history, examination and laboratory testing) will be needed.
How high body temperature is communication with a patient?
When we start a conversation, we should check vital signs to get information about body temperature. After asking general questions, we should complete a full review of systems, and don’t forget to ask about medication history.
“Opening questions:”
“How long have you had a fever? (How long have you been fever?) ”
“How and at what site did you measure your temperature? (How and where do you measure the temperature?) ”
“Describe any new symptoms you have experienced with fever.”
After asking general questions, be sure to ask for alarm symptoms that your body temperature changes, such as a fever above 41 degrees C (105.8 degrees F), rash, and changes. mental status and level of sensorium, dizziness or light headedness, shortness of breath and chest pain.
Also don’t forget to ask the patient about recent hospitalizations, travel abroad, new medications and sick contacts.
Detailed questions make diagnosing the disease easy
Next will be detailed questions so that we can easily diagnose the disease. Keep in mind that there will be diseases with the same associated symptoms and the same symptoms, but never two patients have exactly the same symptoms – No two patients ever show exactly the same constellation of symptom.
When we approach a patient with fever, we will ask questions to think of groups of diseases such as:
Infection:
“Have you had any sick contacts? (Have you ever been exposed to a source of illness?) ”
“Have you recently been in the hospital or traveled recently? (Have you been hospitalized recently or gone somewhere?) ”
Malignant:
“Have you lost weight? (Did you lose weight?) ”
“Do you have any bone pain? (Do you have bone pain?) ”
Relevant symptoms can be exploited by questions such as:
“Do you have dry cough, nasal congestion, sinus pain, or a sore throat? (Do you have a dry cough, stuffy nose, sinus pain, or sore throat?) ”
“Do you have any blood in your sputum / urine? (Do you have blood in your sputum / urine?) “
“Have you had difficulty with speech, double vision, arm or leg weakness, or seizure? (Have difficulty speaking, double vision, weakness in arms or legs, or convulsions / seizures?) ”
“Do you have night sweats or malaise? (Are you sweating at night or tired?) ”
Above are the initial questions as well as how to approach a patient with high body temperature. Hope I have helped you more confident when exploiting the disease as well as step by step in the examination process in the following articles. If you have any questions, please contact anhvanyds or through the Anh Van Y Khoa fanpage – Medical English – DR.DUY everyone!
by Tran Nam Anh
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