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Overview :
When a person has a fever, the pulse usually increases along
with the temperature. Relative bradycardia refers to a pulse-temperature
deficit, with the pulse less than that expected for a given temperature.
Criteria for using relative bradycardia in clinical
diagnosis:
(1) age of
patient >= 13 years
(2)
temperature >= 102°F and <= 106°F
(3) The
pulse is taken simultaneously with the temperature,
(4) The
patient has normal sinus rhythm with no arrhythmias, second or third degree
heart block, or pacemaker.
|
Temperature |
Pulse in Beats per
Minute |
|
102°F (38.9
°C) |
110 |
|
103°F (39.5
°C) |
120 |
|
104°F (40.0
°C) |
130 |
|
105°F (40.6
°C) |
140 |
|
106°F (41.1
°C) |
150 |
pulse in beats per minute =
= (10 * (temperature in °F)) – 910
Infectious causes of relative bradycardia:
(1) Legionnaires' disease
(2) psittacosis
(3) Q fever
(4) typhoid fever
(5) typhus
(6) malaria
(7) babesiosis
(8) leptospirosis
(9) yellow fever
(10) dengue fever
(11) Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Noninfectious causes of relative bradycardia:
(1) beta-blockers
(2) CNS lesions
(3) malignant lymphoma
(4) factitious fever
(5) drug-related fever
Relative bradycardia is not found with the "typical"
bacterial pneumonias.
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