Hydrotherapeutic Heat Application as Support in Febrile Patients: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background:

Most often, fever is still treated by lowering body temperature with medication. In complementary and integrative health care, patients are supported during illness to use the positive effects of fever. Accompanying applications from the field of hydrotherapy are often used for gentle cooling, but there are references that warming in fever can also be used as a support. The aim of this scoping review was to identify available evidence on how, when, and why patients with fever are treated with heat application.

Methods:

The MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, COCHRANE, Google, and Google Scholar databases as well as references of identified literature were searched. As sources of evidence, publications studying patients who received heat application or were kept warm in febrile condition, regardless of medical situation, type of health care setting, and geographical background, were taken into consideration.

Results:

The literature search identified 1698 publications, of which only 7 were included. Methods of applying heat were the use of electric warming blankets, hot packs, hot-water bottles, or hot water footbaths. Most of the studies on heat application used temperatures of about 40°C and reported significantly lower body temperature after heat application.

Conclusions:

The literature suggests that hydrotherapeutic heat application is a common and well-appreciated method in Middle Eastern and Asian regions to support febrile patients. Using heat to support the energy-intensive and uncomfortable phase of rising fever may improve comfort, prevent unnecessarily high fever, and save biological energy. Therefore, high-quality studies on the role of heat application in fever are expected to be of high relevance for future fever management guidelines and integrative health care in general.