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Maternal (Expert Forum)
Re: thermoregulatory failure
Patient medical question and answer from The Maternal and Child Health Forum. Health topic area and articles about newborn care
Re: thermoregulatory failure
by HFHS.RN-AM, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By HFHS.RN-AM on September 22, 1998 at 09:50:25:
In Reply to: thermoregulatory failure posted by Nancy on September 17, 1998 at 12:56:41:
Hi.....I have a 8 yr. old son who has a truly complexed problem. His temperature control system in his body doesn't seem to function. From birth he has never run a temperature while ill and yet on a hot day he can go outside or in a hot building and his body temperature will rise. When he was a baby it would take a long time to get him well from an illness and the doctor would have to use many antibotics because he would not run temps. so he would stay ill longer. He had, what I call his first heat stroke at the age of 3, he was outside for 10 minutes and his temp. went up to 103.5 and he became out of it, and started vomiting and lethargic, he didn't even know what he was drinking or his surrounding. He slept for many hours and upon waking was fine but very tired. Over the years he has had many eposides of this. I have brought him to a neuroligist who has told me this is not migraines. He goes to his regular doctor to document these times but there isn't much he can do except give him Tigan to stop the vomiting. He does have sweat glands for we did the CF test which came out normal, and he has had a brain scan at one point because he became so ill which was normal. He also had his thyroid tested which was normal. I should state he has many broken capillarities on his body, on his face, legs and back area. During an episode he will either be very pale and clammy or hot to the touch and red, he then gets a headache and become very weak and within no time start to vomit consecutively until I give him the Tigan at which time he will go to sleep for a number of hours and upon waking he is back to normal with the exception of an ashy color to the skin and a few days later it will hurt upon urination. Have you ever heard of this in any child and if so, what can I do for him. I am truly at a loss here. Thank you for any advise you can give me....Nancy
________
Dear Nancy,
Certain types of migraines can present with temperature variations. This is not thermoregulatory Failure. A physician can help identify triggers (such as certain foods, stress, flashing or bright lights, video games). There are many new medications to treat migraines. Lots of info is available on the web. Try keywords below. Your son should be seen by a pediatric neurologist. If you need a referral , you can call our Physician Referal Number at Henry Ford Health System at 1-800-653-6568.
What you described at a heat stroke when your son was 3 was most likely heat exhaustion, which is characterized by wekness, dizziness, nausea, headache, and eventually collapse, Skin will feel cold and clammy, and body temperature is usually normal. The prognosis is favorable providing that the patient is moved to a cool place and given fluids slowly. Heat stroke is an acute and dangerous reaction to heat exposure. There is a high body temperature ( over 105 F), cessation of sweating, headache , numbness tingling and confusion prior to sudden delirium and coma. The vital signs increase: very rapid heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure elevatres, and there is a basic failure of the heat regulatory mechanisms of the body. Treatment involved placing the body in ice water or under cold wet sheets with a fan blowing over to rapidly cool the body, and then monitoring the patient for several days for fluid and electrolyte imbalance and kidney failure.
Some children seem to never have fevers with illness. This is not pathological, its just the way some kids are. Others get high fevers at the sligtest cold. While fever is a mechanism to fight infection (many germs dont thrive in the warmer body), fever does not make antibiotics take less time to work.. Antibiotics are usually needed for ten days for a bacterial infection. They do not do anything for viruses. If your child has a virus, you can expect sysptoms to linger for 10-14 days.
I hope this addresses some of your concerns.
HFHS.RN-AM
*KEYWORD: headache, migraines, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, fever
In Reply to: thermoregulatory failure posted by Nancy on September 17, 1998 at 12:56:41:
Hi.....I have a 8 yr. old son who has a truly complexed problem. His temperature control system in his body doesn't seem to function. From birth he has never run a temperature while ill and yet on a hot day he can go outside or in a hot building and his body temperature will rise. When he was a baby it would take a long time to get him well from an illness and the doctor would have to use many antibotics because he would not run temps. so he would stay ill longer. He had, what I call his first heat stroke at the age of 3, he was outside for 10 minutes and his temp. went up to 103.5 and he became out of it, and started vomiting and lethargic, he didn't even know what he was drinking or his surrounding. He slept for many hours and upon waking was fine but very tired. Over the years he has had many eposides of this. I have brought him to a neuroligist who has told me this is not migraines. He goes to his regular doctor to document these times but there isn't much he can do except give him Tigan to stop the vomiting. He does have sweat glands for we did the CF test which came out normal, and he has had a brain scan at one point because he became so ill which was normal. He also had his thyroid tested which was normal. I should state he has many broken capillarities on his body, on his face, legs and back area. During an episode he will either be very pale and clammy or hot to the touch and red, he then gets a headache and become very weak and within no time start to vomit consecutively until I give him the Tigan at which time he will go to sleep for a number of hours and upon waking he is back to normal with the exception of an ashy color to the skin and a few days later it will hurt upon urination. Have you ever heard of this in any child and if so, what can I do for him. I am truly at a loss here. Thank you for any advise you can give me....Nancy
________
Dear Nancy,
Certain types of migraines can present with temperature variations. This is not thermoregulatory Failure. A physician can help identify triggers (such as certain foods, stress, flashing or bright lights, video games). There are many new medications to treat migraines. Lots of info is available on the web. Try keywords below. Your son should be seen by a pediatric neurologist. If you need a referral , you can call our Physician Referal Number at Henry Ford Health System at 1-800-653-6568.
What you described at a heat stroke when your son was 3 was most likely heat exhaustion, which is characterized by wekness, dizziness, nausea, headache, and eventually collapse, Skin will feel cold and clammy, and body temperature is usually normal. The prognosis is favorable providing that the patient is moved to a cool place and given fluids slowly. Heat stroke is an acute and dangerous reaction to heat exposure. There is a high body temperature ( over 105 F), cessation of sweating, headache , numbness tingling and confusion prior to sudden delirium and coma. The vital signs increase: very rapid heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure elevatres, and there is a basic failure of the heat regulatory mechanisms of the body. Treatment involved placing the body in ice water or under cold wet sheets with a fan blowing over to rapidly cool the body, and then monitoring the patient for several days for fluid and electrolyte imbalance and kidney failure.
Some children seem to never have fevers with illness. This is not pathological, its just the way some kids are. Others get high fevers at the sligtest cold. While fever is a mechanism to fight infection (many germs dont thrive in the warmer body), fever does not make antibiotics take less time to work.. Antibiotics are usually needed for ten days for a bacterial infection. They do not do anything for viruses. If your child has a virus, you can expect sysptoms to linger for 10-14 days.
I hope this addresses some of your concerns.
HFHS.RN-AM
*KEYWORD: headache, migraines, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, fever
