We have one critical minute to focus on the
difference between fever and hyperthermia. Elevated body temperature is typically interpreted
as fever, but it doesn’t have to be. Fever, or pyrexia, is an increase in body
temperature that occurs as a result of an increase in the hypothalamic set point, caused
by inflammatory cytokines. Now what does this mean? The hypothalamus functions as kind of like
a thermostat for the body. If the thermostat in your home is set to 20
degrees celcius, if room temperature is 15 degrees, your heater will switch on until
room temperature is 20 degrees, nice and comfortable. Likewise, if room temperature is 20 degrees
but your thermostat is set to 30 degrees, your heater will switch on as well. Not that comfortable. This happens in fever: ideal body temperature
is around 37 degrees celcius, so if your thermostat is set to 40 degrees, your body will see 37
degrees as too cold, and it will start to produce heat. The resetting of the hypothalamic setpoint
occurs under the influence of inflammatory cytokines, mostly interleukin 1 and 6, and
tissue necrosis factor-alpha. Hyperthermia is an increase in body temperature
that is not due to an increase in the hypothalamic setpoint by inflammatory cytokines. Causes can be subdivided into drug induced,
environmental, endocrine, or neurogenic. I have a couple of videos on this
if you’re interested. You are dismissed.