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Exercise‐induced hyperthermia in childhood: a case report and pilot study
Author(s) -
Kallinich T,
Keitzer R,
Puskas E,
Boldt F
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01272.x
Subject(s) - hyperthermia , medicine , rectal temperature , core temperature , human body temperature , anesthesia , surgery , physiology
Hyperthermia is characterized by an increase of body core temperature due to exogenous heat exposure and/or endogenous heat production. Contrary to fever the hypothalamic‐controlled temperature set point remains unchanged. Aim: To demonstrate that exercise‐induced hyperthermia is a common phenomenon in childhood. Case: We describe a 5‐year‐old boy, who attended our outpatient clinic with a 6‐month observation period of exercise‐induced hyperthermia with rectal temperatures up to 39.0°C. Characteristically temperature dropped to normal values after cessation of exercise. Method: In eight children aged 5–8, tympanic and rectal temperatures were measured before and after exercise. Results: The rectal temperature increases frequently after exercise (p < 0.001), whereas tympanic temperature did not (p = 0.2). Conclusion: Benign hyperthermia should be considered in children with increased body temperature of unknown sources. The site of temperature measurement might be critical in the identification of this condition.