You are currently viewing Pyrogens In Fever Pathogenesis : Mnemonic

Here is a quick mnemonic ” PYROGENS  to remember about the Pathogenesis of Pyrogens In Fever 

This can be valuable for patients as well as medical doctors, nurses & students doing their clinical rounds. You can also find it very useful for med exams like USMLE, NEET PG, FMGE, NExT & NCLEX exams

Pyrogens are substances that can trigger a fever response in the body. They can be endogenous (produced by the body itself) or exogenous (introduced from outside the body). Pyrogens play a critical role in the pathogenesis of fever by activating the hypothalamus, which is the temperature-regulating center of the brain.

Endogenous pyrogens are produced by immune cells in response to an infection or other inflammatory stimuli. These include cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). These cytokines are produced by activated immune cells and can enter the bloodstream, cross the blood-brain barrier, and activate the hypothalamus, resulting in an increase in body temperature.

Pyrogens In Fever Pathogenesis : How To Remember Easily ?

  • P – Pyrogen means any substance that causes fever.

  • Y – You can find exogenous pyrogens outside the patient.

  • R – Reputed sources of exogenous pyrogens include microbial products, toxins, or whole microorganisms.

  • O – One classic example of exogenous pyrogen is lipopolysaccharide, also known as endotoxin, produced by all gram-negative bacteria.

  • G – Gram-positive organisms also produce pyrogenic products such as enterotoxins of Staphylococcus aureus and the groups A and B streptococcal toxins, also called superantigens.

  • E – Enterotoxins of Staphylococcus aureus and the groups A and B streptococcal toxins are also called superantigens.

  • N – Notably, some staphylococcal toxin isolates are associated with toxic shock syndrome.

  • S – Staphylococci and streptococci cause fever in experimental animals when injected intravenously.

Mnemonic :  PYROGENS

Dr. Arin Nandi

Passionate About Medical Science & Helping Future Doctors Achieve Top Ranks In Medical Exams. He is professionally a dentist as well as a public health expert from JIPMER (1), (2)working in health department
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