Homeostasis and describe how it relates to
hyperthermia.
Homeostasis and describe how it relates to hyperthermia.
It was July 20 in Houston and the fourth straight day that would
have a high temperature above 100°F. Janice was running some
errands and decided to stop by her mother’s house. Janice’s
mother, Marian, was eighty-four and in pretty good health. She
was able to keep up with her housekeeping and still tended a
small garden in her backyard. Just that morning, Janice had told
her mother not to spend too much time working in the garden
today. Janice knew that the heat could be dangerous, especially
to the elderly, and her mother’s place didn’t have an air
conditioner, but Janice felt that her mother was alert enough to
know her own limits.
When Janice reached her mother’s house, she found her mother
unconscious on the couch in the living room. All of the windows in
the house were closed. Janice immediately tried to rouse her
mother and was able to get her to say a few words, but Marian
seemed delirious. Janice grabbed the telephone and called for
help. The emergency services operator instructed Janice to apply
cold wash cloths to her mother’s forehead and face and if possible
to position her mother in front of a fan while using a spray bottle
to spray tepid water on her skin.
When the paramedics arrived Marian was conscious but confused
and feeling nauseous. At the hospital the doctor told Janice just

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