A Nurse Is Caring for a Patient with a Fever

question 20

Multiple Choice

A nurse is caring for a patient with a fever of 103.2°F whose wife asks, "Why does his body get so hot like that?" The nurse's best response is:

• A) "Actually, a fever is often what makes people seek medical help."
• B) "A fever is the body's way of creating an environment that is harmful to germs."
• C) "It is frustrating that his fever is still high when I gave him Tylenol 10 minutes ago."
• D) "I think the fever is still up because the antibiotics haven't had time to work yet."

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Definitions:

Histamine

Substance released from mast cells that causes inflammation.

Allergic Reaction

An immune system response to a foreign substance that is not typically harmful to the body, such as pollen or certain foods.

Local Regulator

A substance (often a small protein or peptide) that acts near its site of secretion to regulate cellular or physiological activities.

Peripheral Membrane Protein

A protein associated with one of the surfaces of a biological membrane. Compare with integral membrane protein.