You have been called to a residence for a patient who is sick. On scene, the family tells you that the patient is being treated for "stomach flu" and has had a fever of 102°F for the past two days. She has been taking all of the medications prescribed by her doctor, but this evening became very "sweaty." Assessment shows her to be stable with a pulse of 88, respirations of 18 breaths/min, adequate blood pressure of 128/68 mmHg, and an oral temperature of 100.2°F. Based on these data, the EMT should recognize that:

Question

A) The patient's body is attempting to retain heat by covering itself with sweat, which acts as a barrier to heat loss
B) The sweat is causing the loss of body heat since the sweat is warmer than the body, causing heat to move from inside to outside the body
C) The sweat is causing the patient's body to retain heat since sweat is warmer than the temperature of the body, causing the heat in the body to exit and cool the patient
D) The patient's body is cooling itself by transferring heat into the sweat, which is then evaporated into the air

Answer 1

D) The patient's body is cooling itself by transferring heat into the sweat, which is then evaporated into the air