A 62-year-old man on ICU develops a temperature of 40.5°C. His cooling blanket reduces his temperature to 37°C within 2 hours. However, he then develo...

Question

A 62-year-old man on ICU develops a temperature of 40.5°C. His cooling blanket reduces his temperature to 37°C within 2 hours. However, he then develops rigors and his temperature rebounds to 39.5°C. What physiological mechanism explains the shivering during external cooling?

Accepted Answer

Shivering is the body's thermoregulatory response to a temperature below the hypothalamic set point - external cooling lowers the body temperature below the febrile set point, triggering compensatory heat generation through shivering

Answer

The cooling blanket is defective

Answer

The shivering is a seizure

Answer

Shivering is caused by the underlying infection

Answer

The thermometer is inaccurate

uk-fficm MCQ (SBA): Fever and Shivering Physiology

A 62-year-old man on ICU develops a temperature of 40.5°C. His cooling blanket reduces his temperature to 37°C within 2 hours. However, he then develops rigors and his temperature rebounds to 39.5°C. What physiological mechanism explains the shivering during external cooling?