Pathological factors underlying hyperthermia

Hyperthermia. is the result of an imbalance between total heat (metabolic heat and environmental heat) accumulated in the body and heat loss from the body, and is defined as a condition when core temperature rises above its normal range. This article will present an overview of syndromes associated with hyperthermia, through discussion of the etiology and pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie those disorders. Emphasis will also be placed on the therapeutic measures to be taken in order to avert the complications of these disorders. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.