Finding out the cause of low-grade fever

36.6 is not a constant body temperature of a healthy person; if you monitor it throughout the day, this value will fluctuate slightly. The lowest result, about 36 degrees, will be at the time of morning sleep. If a person is hot after physical activity, the temperature may rise slightly

Body temperature is affected by heat, humidity, and too warm clothing. Women experience a slight jump in temperature (by half a degree) on certain days of the menstrual cycle. But this will be a one-time increase. A cause for concern may be an increase in temperature from 37.2 to 37.9 over a period of more than a month - this is a low-grade fever.

If a low-grade fever lasts more than two weeks, and is accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep, shortness of breath, then you should not delay seeing a therapist. Often, a low-grade fever signals a problem in the body when other symptoms have not yet appeared.

Causes of low-grade fever

There are diseases that provoke a slight increase in temperature over a long period of time.

Chronic infectious process (tuberculosis, chronic diseases of the nasopharynx, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, prostatitis, adnexitis, bacterial endocarditis, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV infection).
Inflammatory process
Oncology
Autoimmune diseases (rheumatism, ulcerative colitis, drug allergies, arthritis, post-infarction syndrome)
Parasites
Pathologies of the endocrine system (thyrotoxicosis, severe menopause)
Thermoneurosis (vegetative dysfunction affecting heat exchange)

If the cause of fever is an infection, then it is characterized by:

decrease after taking antipyretic;
poor tolerance;
There are fluctuations throughout the day.

But there are reasons when a healthy person has a low-grade fever:

when overheated
under stress
when taking certain medications
hereditary factor, when a child is born and lives with a high temperature
upon activation of the hypothalamus
during pregnancy
before menstruation.

This temperature is not susceptible to the action of antipyretic drugs, is easily tolerated and does not have pronounced daily fluctuations.

An examination will help determine the cause.

Analyzes and studies for low-grade fever.

You should always start with a general practitioner. It is the general practitioner who will refer you for initial tests, and then, after the results obtained, will recommend an appointment with a specialist: an endocrinologist, cardiologist, gynecologist, otolaryngologist, infectious disease specialist.

Fever: why it occurs for no reason and when it’s time to sound the alarm

Antipyretic drugs are prescribed to patients for various infections with a temperature of 38.5 degrees or higher. Also, such medications are indicated for children, pregnant women and people with severe fever.

Important! Doctors emphasize that it is not recommended to bring the temperature below 38 degrees!

Antipyretic medications are medications that work by blocking the synthesis of substances that cause fever. All of them have antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is one of the most well-known price-lowering drugs. It is paracetamol that is part of a set of drugs for viral diseases: Antigrippin, Theraflu, Coldrex, Tylenol, Coldact and the like.

This drug, according to doctors, is considered the safest remedy for reducing fever in children, as it causes Reye's symptom (swelling of the liver and brain). Also, the drug has practically no side effects such as irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa and the development of bronchospasm.

For those under 12 years of age, doctors advise choosing not tablets, but syrups or rectal suppositories.

You should not take paracetamol if:

have noticed increased sensitivity to the components of the drug;
you suffer from liver or kidney failure;
you regularly drink alcohol;
you have a deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

Aspirin

The second antipyretic drug we will talk about is aspirin.

It has established itself as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic non-steroidal drug. Aspirin has the ability to reduce blood clotting and thus significantly reduce the risk of blood clots. The drug can be found in such medications as Aspirin-S, Upsarin Upsa and others.

It is not advisable for children under 15 years of age to take the drug if they have symptoms of acute respiratory infections in order to avoid Reye's developmental syndrome. The most common side effects of aspirin are gastrointestinal disorders: loose stools, nausea, vomiting.

Treatment with aspirin is strictly prohibited in the following cases:

with increased sensitivity to the drug and its complete intolerance;
women during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
with a diagnosis such as bronchial asthma;
in the presence of ulcerative changes in the gastrointestinal tract;
with an increased tendency to bleeding (diseases of the hemostasis system).

Ibuprofen

Let's close the top three most popular anti-inflammatory drugs with ibuprofen, which is included in such drugs from the pharmacy shelf as Faspik, Nurofen, Ibuklin, etc.

Side effects from taking ibuprofen are identical to those from stomach treatment: upset stomach, vomiting, nausea, frequent heartburn.

The drug is prohibited for use in the following situations:

with pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
for bronchial asthma, rhinitis and urticaria, which appeared in the body after a course of treatment with aspirin;
for problems with blood clotting;
for various visual pathologies;
in case of severe cardiac, renal and liver failure.

Important! Ibuprofen is strictly prohibited for use in the form of suspensions by children under 3 months; for use in the form of effervescent tablets for children under 6 years of age; for use in the form of tablets, capsules and granules for children under 12 years of age.

Most of the medications described above can be purchased at pharmacy chains without a prescription. It is strictly prohibited to engage in treatment with these drugs for a long time without a qualified physician!

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apteka24.ua is the first online pharmacy you can trust.

This editorial material was checked for accuracy by the general practitioner at the Medical Plaza Medical Center, Daria Yuryevna Shevchenko.

Sources

Fever: when should you take fever-chewing medications for HRVI? / moz.gov.ua (Ukrainian)

Fever of an invisible journey (HNP) / empendium.com (ukr.)

Fever. Variety of reasons and complexity of solutions / umj.com.ua

Fever / MedlinePlus

Fever: what you need to know / MedicalNewsToday

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DEZlikbez. Issue 9. Azopyram test

Friends, we have made another useful video for you about the azopyram test. It is without sound, so it is equally important to watch the video and read the text below.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask in the comments.

What is an azopyram test?

This is a way to check the quality of pre-sterilization cleaning (PSC) of instruments. Simply put, we check whether traces of blood and biological fluids remain on the instruments even after PSO.

If the instrument is not cleaned properly, the azopyram working solution will turn purple. If PSO is carried out well, the solution will not change color.

Who needs to know this?

Cosmetologists, manicurists and pedicurists and, of course, workers in medical institutions. Anyone who, when working with tools, can damage the client’s skin.

How to conduct a test correctly?

Step 1. Preparation of the working solution.

There are two options.

The first is the preparation of an azopyram sample from dry reagents.

To do this, you need to mix all the components of the reagent in the following proportions:

amidopyrine – 100 g;
analine hydrochloride – 1-1.5 g,
Add ethyl alcohol 95% concentration to the required volume (about 1 l).
Combine the resulting liquid with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide in equal proportions.

The finished liquid is called the working solution.

The solution is prepared immediately before testing and used within two hours after mixing the components. Otherwise, the sample efficiency will be zero.

If the reagent is stored in a room where the air temperature is above 25 degrees, it will turn pink faster.

The finished solution may turn yellow, this is acceptable if there is no sediment.

This solution preparation option is suitable for institutions that have a medical license and carry out medical activities.

According to SanPiN 2631-10, the use of alcohol is prohibited at public service enterprises, so you should use the second option.

The second option is to use a ready-made “Azopyram-Kit”.

This kit will greatly facilitate the preparation of an azopyram sample. The set contains only two bottles of reagents. The reagent from the small bottle must be poured into a large bottle. The result is a ready-made solution of azopyram.

Step 2. Adding hydrogen peroxide.

To perform an azopyram test, you will need 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Using a pipette, apply three drops of the prepared working solution of azopyram test and three drops of hydrogen peroxide onto a clean napkin.

Step 3. Testing.

We wipe the cutting elements of the instrument or those parts of it that come into contact with biological fluids or blood with a napkin. In the video, we took tweezers as an example.

If the tool has grooves or roughness (for example, cutters, and in our case it is a Uno spoon), the product is used in the form of drops. To do this, we will mix Azopyram with 3% hydrogen peroxide in equal parts and apply 2-3 drops to the instrument with a pipette. This is necessary so that the solution passes through all channels and joints of the tool parts.

After applying the product you need to wait 1 minute. During this time, the solution is allowed to drain onto a clean white napkin (this condition is one of the most important).

We will see the test results on a napkin in a minute. The result obtained after a longer time has no diagnostic value.

If the PSO was carried out poorly, and there are traces of blood or biological fluid on the instruments, after a minute a purple spot will appear on the napkin, and after a few seconds it will turn pinkish-blue.

If the stain on the napkin has a brown tint, it means there is rust or chlorine-containing oxidizers on the instruments. Pink color indicates the presence of detergents.

In our case, the reagent did not give positive results, so we believe that the instrument passed the PSA and there is no need to carry it out again.

To assess the quality of PSO, at least 1% of the instrument that has undergone a simultaneous cleaning procedure is taken. In the beauty industry, for a simpler count, at least three tools are taken from one batch.

How to check the suitability of a solution?

If the drug is stored for a long time, its suitability should be checked before use. Before making an azopyram test on the surface, 2-3 drops of the solution are applied to the blood stain. If within 60 seconds it turns purple, then the reagent is suitable for use. If coloring does not occur, then this solution cannot be used.

Several important rules for conducting an azopyram test:

Coloring that occurs later than one minute after treatment is not taken into account when analyzing the results;
The temperature of the instruments being examined must be at room temperature. Samples of hot objects are not allowed;
Do not keep the working solution (with hydrogen peroxide) in bright light or in a room with high temperature;
The Azopyram working solution must be used within two hours, the preparatory solution can be stored at room temperature for one month, in the refrigerator for two months.
The container with the solution must be hermetically sealed and the glass must be dark.
After testing, the remaining solution must be removed from the instrument, regardless of the result. To do this, items should be rinsed with water or wiped with a swab moistened with water or alcohol. After this, if necessary, repeat the pre-sterilization treatment or carry out sterilization.
The results of all tests performed are recorded in a special PSO quality log. If the examination shows the presence of contamination, the entire batch of instruments must be reprocessed.

You can purchase “Azopyram-Komplekt”, as well as PSO quality control logs on our website.

In the video we showed how the azopyram test is performed.

The importance of pharmacological tests in identifying hidden bronchial obstruction

Patient S., 55 years old, came to our department as an outpatient on a referral from a pulmonologist for spirography and a pharmacological test with a bronchodilator to diagnose bronchial asthma.

It is worth noting that the patient had previously been involved in sports for many years. Height – 185 cm, weight – 94 kg.

With spirography (Fig. 1), results were obtained that exceeded the standard values: FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) was 5.04 l or 130% of the expected value; Vital capacity (vital capacity of the lungs) – 6.48 l or 127% of the proper value, FVC (forced vital capacity of the lungs) – 6.48 l or 132% of the proper value. Thus, spirography revealed no disturbances in the ventilation function of the lungs. In accordance with the generally accepted methodology for conducting a pharmacological test with a bronchodilator, the patient was inhaled with salbutamol 400 mcg and spirography was repeated 15 minutes later. When comparing the indicators of the initial and subsequent spirograms, a significant increase in expiratory speed indicators was revealed: the increase in FEV1 was 30.9% or 1.56 l, while there was an increase in expiratory volume indicators: vital capacity increased by 32% or 2.1 l; FVC - by 32% or 2.1 liters, probably due to an increase in the ventilated space. Thus, a positive test with a bronchodilator was obtained, which indicates the presence of reversible bronchial obstruction, in this case hidden. It should be noted that after inhalation, vital capacity was 168% of the expected value, FVC - 175% of the expected value, FEV1 - 170% of the expected value, i.e. all indicators exceeded the norm by more than one and a half times, which was due to the constitutional characteristics of the patient .

Proper values are calculated in accordance with the recommendations of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) when examining healthy non-smokers using a normal (Gaussian) distribution of the parameter, estimated from measurements in a large sample of the population, the due values are detected in approximately 90% of the population, at the same time, in 5% the indicator will be below the norm, and in 5% - above the norm. Our patient, apparently, belongs to a small group of people who, due to constitutional characteristics, have a lung volume greater than normal, which does not prevent him from suffering from bronchial asthma.

The patient has hidden reversible bronchial obstruction, which could not be suspected after performing conventional spirography. Our example demonstrates the need to conduct a test with a bronchodilator even if normal values are obtained during primary spirography. A pharmacological test is a more informative study.