Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is a name given to a variety of heat related illnesses, when the body temperature is higher than normal. This may be due to illnesses such as fever or heat stroke. But hyperthermia also refers to heat treatment, controlled use of heat for medical purposes, like cancer. When the body is exposed to very high temperatures, changes take place inside the cells. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy can kill cancer cells outright and can also injure normal cells and tissues. That is why hyperthermia must be carefully controlled and should be undertaken only with doctor supervision.
There are two primary ways in which hyperthermia is used. Very high temperatures can be used to destroy a small area of cells such as tumor. This is called local hyperthermia or thermal ablation. The other method is when the temperature of the whole body can be raised to a higher than normal level. Radiation therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy are instances of this. This is known as regional hyperthermia or whole body hyperthermia.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is a condition where the body temperature rises beyond 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) and the natural body cooling mechanism fails. Also called sunstroke, thermic fever, or siriasis, heat stroke can become a potentially dangerous condition if not treated. High body temperature plays havoc on the brain and other internal organs. Dehydration can lead to very low blood pressure. Symptoms of heat stroke include nausea, headache, muscle cramps, disorientation and seizures. Dehydration and hyperthermia results. Symptoms such as dehydration and excessive sweating are indicative of heat exhaustion and can lead to a heat stroke. A person suffering heat stroke symptoms must rest in a cool area and rehydrate with electrolyte drinks and water. A cool bath helps to alleviate some of the heat.
CK blood test
A creatinine kinase test is a blood test that measures the levels of Creatinine phosphokinase (CPK). It is an enzyme found predominantly in the heart, brain and skeletal muscle. The CK blood test is commonly used to diagnose the existence of heart muscle damage. The CK blood test result shows an increase above normal in a person's blood test about six hours after the start of a heart attack. It reaches its peak in about 18 hours and returns to normal in 24 to 36 hours. When the total CPK level is substantially elevated, then it is indicative of injury or stress to heart, brain or skeletal areas. The small amount of CPK that is normally in the blood comes from the muscles. The CPK blood test also helps in cost-effective management of people with suspected coronary atherosclerosis. It also evaluates the extent of muscle damage caused by drugs, trauma or immobility. It is used in early detection of dermatomyositisand polymyositis. It is also used to distinguish malignant hyperthermia from a post operative infection. It helps to discover carriers of muscular dystrophy.
The normal range for Creatinine Kinase (CK or CPK) blood test:
Male: 38 - 174 units/L
Female: 96 - 140 units/L
Higher than normal CPK levels is indicative of the following conditions:
Bibliography / Reference
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