Story about Fever's role in infection and inflammation

SUGATAN 

Nurse Ann is working as a community health nurse in one of the rural area. One day, AlingNena came to the center with her youngest daughter.

AlingNena: Nurse pwede mo ba akong tulungan? (Nurse, can you help me?)

Nurse: Ano po ang maitutulong ko? (What can I do to help you?)

AlingNena: Ito kasing anak ko, nadapa nung isang linggo, nilangaskonangangdahonngbayabasangsugatniyaperongayonnilalagnatnasiya. ( My daughter accidentally stumbled last week, I already cleansed it with guava leaves but now she already have fever)

Nurse: Tignan po natin ang sugat at papakita din natinkaydoktora. (Let us see the wound and we will ask the doctor to see the wound )

After the consultation with the doctor, the nurse assessed the wound and preparethe materials for dressing.

While doing the dressing:

AlingNena: Bakit kaya siya nilagnat? Para sugat lang na manyan. (Why did she have fever? It’s only wound. )

Nurse: Mukha po kasing na impeksiyon na ang kanyang sugat. Ang mga mikrobyo po kasi ay may nilalabas na parang kemikal na tinatawag na exotoxin namagiging dahilan para lagnatin ang isang tao. At hindi lang na man po dahil lang sa impeksiyon, minsanang sugat mismo ay maaaring maging dahilan nglagnat. Dahil nga po na sugatan tayo, ito ang magiging daan para sa mga mikrobyo para makapasok sa ating sistema. At bilang dipensa, nagpapadala po ang ating katawan ng mga panlaban (neutrophil at macrophages) para patayin ang mga mikrobyo. At ito ay maglalabas ng kemikal ng pwedeng maapektuhanang parte ng ating katawan na nagbabalanse sa ating temperature ng magiging sanhing lagnat. Ito po ay isang normal  na eaksiyon ng ating katawan.

                        (This is already an infected wound. Infectious agents produce chemicals called exotoxin  which can be the cause of fever. Besides, it’s not only the infection, sometimes a wound can cause fever. Since we have tissue injury, it can be the mode of entry of the microorganism to invade our system. As a defense mechanism, our body send agents (neutrophil and Macrophages) to kill the microorganism. And this can produce chemicals that will affect the organ which controls our temperature which will be the reason for the increase of body temperature. And this is a normal reaction of our body.

AlingNena: Galing naman palang katawan natin at merong sariling panlaban sa mikrobyo. (Our body is good because it has its own defense mechanism.)

Nurse: Tama po kayo diyan. (You are right)

After dressing and all the instructions, Aling Nena and her daughter left the center.

TEACHER FEVER

Clinical Instructor Melvin was assigned at the Surgical Unit of Outpatient Department of MCU Hospital. He is teaching the 2^nd year students of Nursing during their summer. One of the students was assigned to take the vital signs of the patient. During vital signs taking, CIMelvin noticed that the student is taking the temperature by touching the forehead of the patient and estimating the temperature in the vital signs sheet. After doing the vital signs, CI Melvin called the attention of the student.

CI: did you take the complete vital signs of the patient?

Student: Yes, Sir

CI: How did you take the temperature of the patient?

Student: I touched his forehead because I cannot find any thermometer.

CI: Why temperature taking is part of the vital signs of a patient?

Student: Because it will tell us if we have fever?

CI: It can be. Body temperature normally relates to the temperature deep inside of our body. There are some diseases that is accompanied by fever and you can also monitor the course of the disease.

Student: Does it mean that if a patient has fever, they already have a disease?

CI: Not all the time. For example your last patient, what is his case?

Student: He is working in a factory and accidentally, his finger was caught by the mixer. It’s good that he did not lose his finger.

CI: That’s it. It can be caused by a local tissue injury and microorganisms invade our body, our body will send will send neutrophil and monocyte that later will transform to macrophages to perform phagocytosis then produce pyrogen and affect the temperature regulator center, which is the?

Student: Hypothalamus of the brain?

CI: Correct. So, do you think is it necessary to take the temperature accurately?

Student: Yes, to be able to create a good care plan for our patient.

CI: So, what do you need to do now?

Student: Look for a thermometer and take the temperature of the patient.