Using alcohol for tepid sponge bath in a patient who has fever is a common practice, why is it being discouraged now?
2007-02-23 20:52:12 · 2 answers · asked by nice_scent08 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
Rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly on the skin causing a cooling effect. The body's natural response to this effect is to shiver which then causes the body temperature to rise...adding insult to injury.
2007-02-23 23:07:16 · answer #1 · answered by Nancy T 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because if you cool somebody off too quickly, they will respond by raising the temperature even more.
Also, there is actually a movement toward treating fevers less aggressively. The fever is your body's natural response to infection, and as long as it stays below about 101 degrees Fahrenheit, you will not be permanently harmed. So what we do now is keep someone comfortable and lightly covered with a sheet, make sure the patient gets plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and we monitor how much the fever climbs. We don't medicate for fever anymore unless it is too high or stays up for too long.
2007-02-24 15:50:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋