What can cause high fever: Hyperpyrexia: Causes, symptoms, and treatment

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Hyperpyrexia: Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Hyperpyrexia is another term for a very high fever. It usually refers to a body temperature of more than 106.7°F or 41.5°C. Treatment may depend on the underlying cause.

Some doctors lower the measure for hyperpyrexia to include anyone with a body temperature of 106.1°F or 41.1°C and above.

Fevers, including very high fevers, are never illnesses in themselves, or the causes of illnesses. Instead, they are symptoms of other problems, such as an infection or injury. Viral or bacterial infections cause most fevers. However, in hyperpyrexia, that is not always the case.

Hyperpyrexia is an emergency that needs immediate attention from a medical professional.

Contents of this article:

What is hyperpyrexia?
Causes of hyperpyrexia
What are the symptoms?
Treatment and management
How is hyperpyrexia diagnosed?
Outlook

Fast facts on hyperpyrexia:

Viruses that can cause hyperpyrexia include enterovirus infection, roseola, rubeola, and malaria.
Hyperpyrexia is associated with a body temperature of more than 106.7°F or 41.5°C.
Typically, treatment for hyperpyrexia focusses on the underlying disease, if one exists.
The outlook for hyperpyrexia depends on the underlying condition causing the state of very high fever.

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Share on PinterestHyperpyrexia can present as an adverse effect of anesthesia.

In hyperpyrexia and most other cases of fever, the brain tells the body to raise its baseline temperature above normal. The body responds to the brain’s messages and raises its temperature to a new baseline. This reaction normally happens as a result of an infection or trauma.

Hyperpyrexia differs from hyperthermia, a medical term for the uncontrolled rise in body temperature due to excess amounts of body heat generated.

In hyperthermia, the brain is not regulating the rise in temperature the way it does with other fevers. Rather, the body cannot handle the heat from environmental causes, and so it overheats.

Cases of heat stroke are due to hyperthermia, and not to hyperpyrexia.

Usually, instances of hyperpyrexia are associated with viral or bacterial infections. Some other causes include the following:

Intracranial hemorrhage

In some cases, bleeding in the brain known as intracranial hemorrhage causes hyperpyrexia. Accidents or other traumas and strokes are the most likely cause of intracranial hemorrhage. The bleeding in the brain can affect an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is responsible for regulating the body’s temperature.

Sepsis

In rare cases, hyperpyrexia may result from sepsis. Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening response to an infection caused by the immune system. The overwhelming immune system response gets into the blood, which may cause organ damage or failure.

Anesthesia

People may experience hyperpyrexia due to a direct side effect of general anesthesia, occurring when there is an underlying disease of muscle. In these cases, a person’s temperature rises rapidly while under anesthesia, requiring doctors to make adjustments to lower the body’s temperature again.

Hyperpyrexia in children

Kawasaki syndrome or disease is a potential cause of hyperpyrexia, especially in children. Kawasaki syndrome causes inflammation to the medium-sized arteries throughout the body. One sign of Kawasaki disease is high fever, which can result in hyperpyrexia if left untreated.

Share on PinterestHeadaches can be a sign that a fever is becoming more severe.

Symptoms of hyperpyrexia vary from person to person, depending on how long the condition lasts and if it worsens. Early symptoms may include:

increased thirst
extreme sweating
dizziness
muscle cramps
fatigue and weakness
nausea
light-headedness

As the high temperature persists or gets worse, the severity of the symptoms can increase. This situation can lead to:

headache
contracted pupils
mild confusion
pale, moist, and cool skin
vomiting or upset stomach
decreased urination or inability to urinate

In prolonged periods of a temperature of more than 106. 1°F, the following symptoms may occur:

extreme confusion
loss of consciousness
rapid, shallow breathing
dry, hot, and red skin
weak, fast pulse
widened pupils
seizures

It is essential to seek treatment for fevers over 106.1°F to help prevent serious long-term complications or death.

As hyperpyrexia is caused by another disease, treating the latter will usually cause the body’s temperature to go down.

When the body temperature starts reaching 106.1°F and higher, it may be necessary to treat the fever itself, as well as the underlying cause. Direct treatment of hyperpyrexia may include:

a cool bath or cold, wet sponges put on the skin
liquid hydration through IV or from drinking
fever-reducing medications, such as dantrolene

In cases of malignant hyperpyrexia caused from general anesthesia, doctors will need to take steps to reduce the patient’s fever.

Share on PinterestA thermometer is used to diagnose hyperpyrexia.

Diagnosing hyperpyrexia is done using a thermometer. If the reading is over 106.1°F, then the person has the symptoms of hyperpyrexia.

Since hyperpyrexia itself is not a diagnosis and only a symptom of a larger problem, finding the underlying cause of the high fever is more important and often more challenging.

A doctor will assess the person’s physical state and run tests to rule out the more common causes of high fever. These test may include the following:

blood work, to check for signs of infection
image studies of the brain to check for intracranial hemorrhage

Further tests will largely depend on any other symptoms the person has.

If the fever is not treated and a person’s temperature brought down to a safe level, hyperpyrexia can cause permanent brain damage or death.

However, in most circumstances, correct treatments can lower the fever safely, giving doctors time to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of the hyperpyrexia.

Fever: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

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Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M. D., MPH — By Krista O’Connell — Updated on July 23, 2019

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Fever in children. (n.d.).
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/fevers-in-children
Fever in children. (n.d.).
stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=fever-in-children-90-P02512
Lim T. (2015). Kids’ fevers: When to worry, when to relax.
health.clevelandclinic.org/kids-fevers-when-to-worry-when-to-relax/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Fever.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019). Thermometer basics: Taking your child’s temperature.
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/thermometer/art-20047410

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Jul 23, 2019

Written By

Krista O’Connell

Edited By

Juan Armstrong

Jul 18, 2019

Medically Reviewed By

Cameron White, MD, MPH

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Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M.D., MPH — By Krista O’Connell — Updated on July 23, 2019

High temperature in a child: what to do

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When a child’s body temperature rises, he has a fever, especially if it happens late in the evening or on weekends, when there is no way to call and ask for advice – parents, not knowing what to do, panic. What to do with a fever in a child and what symptoms are really dangerous?

The most common cause of fever is viral infections . Along with this circumstance, the most important thing at high body temperature (above 37.5 ° C), especially in children under 3 months old, is to recognize bacterial infection in time. For this a medical examination of a child under the age of 1 year in the first hours or in the first day of the disease is needed. The smaller the child and the more inexperienced the mother, the sooner.

Warning signs

at high temperature
are:

repeated vomiting or vomiting of bile
refusal to eat baby
long sleep
inability to wake up
piercing scream
pulsating fontanel
decreased amount of urine
intercostal retraction
nodding movements on inspiration, inflation of the wings of the nose during breathing
grey, very pale or bluish skin color
for children under 3 months – no eye-to-eye contact (when the child does not fix his gaze on an adult and on an object, avoids fixing his gaze on something).

In these cases, a medical examination is required immediately.

In most cases when the body temperature rises above 38 ° C in a child under 3 months old, if early examination by a doctor and constant communication with a doctor is impossible, hospitalization is indicated .

At any age, the indication for hospitalization at high temperature is hemorrhagic rash – a rash in the form of hemorrhage, which does not disappear when pressed.

Tactics to reduce temperature

Tactics to reduce temperature depend on the level of temperature and the age of the child.

Recommended drugs to reduce fever – ibuprofen (nurofen, ibufen), paracetamol (panadol, cefecon). The drug ibuklin junior contains both active ingredients.

Analgin (Metamizole) is not used due to the risk of agranulocytosis (i.e. suppression of white blood cells).
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is also NOT USED due to the risk of adverse effects on liver function.

If the limbs are hot to the touch, the child should be opened and wiped with water at a temperature of 25-30°C.

If the limbs are icy and the child has chills, this means that in the next few minutes the temperature will still rise , and you need to be alert!

Please note: rubbing with vodka or vinegar is extremely dangerous for children, because may cause skin burns.

Children should reduce their temperature:

under 3 months of age above 38°C
over 3 months – above 39°C.

But it is necessary to take into account the well-being of the child and his neurological status, degree of maturity.

What should be done before the doctor arrives, except for control and lowering body temperature?

A doctor, like a new person, can cause a negative reaction in a child, which will change the clinical picture. Therefore before the doctor arrives, try critically to observe the child , especially if it is a baby.

Pay attention, how the baby moves his limbs , are there any restrictions in movement, pain when bending or unbending the arms and legs in the joints
Try to feel all the limbs for pain
Lightly pull on the ears for resistance to palpation
Try press the chin against the sternum : whether it comes freely to the sternum
Examine the entire skin , if possible, the mouth for sores in the mouth or plaque on the tongue
Monitor and record the time and amount of urine (is it normal)
Examine feces
At rest is there noisy and labored breathing .

In case of convulsions or cough, or in any unclear situation, it is better to carry out filming .

What symptoms require an urgent examination by a specialist:

visible changes on the skin, in the mouth, on the mucous membranes
soreness on pressure on the tragus of the auricles
urine or stools of unusual color
the child does not bring the chin to the sternum
vomiting present
abdominal pain.

If there are no life-threatening symptoms, try not to panic , wait for the pediatrician.

Author of the article: c.m.s., pediatrician, nephrologist Faizova L.T.

Hyperthermia

Hyperthermia is an overheating of the human body, which is accompanied by a temperature above 37ºС. Hyperthermia is the most common symptom of various diseases and is a protective and compensatory reaction of the body. Normal human body temperature is about 36.6ºС. Hyperthermia is observed in many diseases, most often observed in acute respiratory viral infections, inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and respiratory tract. More rare situations are intestinal infections, suppuration of soft tissues, inflammatory diseases of the abdominal organs. At high temperatures, weakness, drowsiness, and sometimes agitation may be noted. Also characteristic symptoms are rapid breathing, tachycardia, sweating.

Why do we call hyperthermia a protective-compensatory reaction? When an infectious agent enters the body, various immune processes come to the defense. This is a chain of chemical reactions involving enzymes, their activity is greater at high temperatures. Therefore, if the patient does not have severe background diseases, doctors do not recommend lowering the temperature below 38.5 ºС. With moderate hyperthermia, in this way, it is easier for your body to cope with viruses and bacteria. A completely different situation occurs when the temperature is too high. At the same time, such a protective, in fact, process can harm your body. To prevent this from happening, too high a temperature should be reduced.

How to do it? First of all, it is necessary to use physical methods of cooling, for this, fresh air must be provided in the room where the patient is located. Rubdowns are possible, using cool mixtures containing water and vinegar. You can make cool compresses and apply them to areas where large vessels pass, such as the neck, armpits and groin. It is categorically impossible to wrap the patient with a large number of warm things (blankets, clothes). It is illogical to apply warm compresses for hyperthermia or give very hot drinks ─ they contribute to overheating.

Of course, the easiest way is to drink an antipyretic. And we use it often. At any age, preference should be given to Paracetamol. It is better than multicomponent drugs such as Coldrex, Theraflu.