Heat stroke on the hottest day of the year

Heat stroke is the most extreme form of heat-related illness. An imbalance between excessive body heat production and inadequate compensatory mechanisms can lead to multi-organ failure and even death. There are two types of heat stroke: exertional heat stroke and non-exertional (a.k.a. classical) he...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde Vol. 164
Main Authors Kidane, Aida S, Peters, Ron
Format Journal Article
LanguageDutch
Published Netherlands 06.08.2020
Subjects
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Climate Change
Exercise
Female
Heat Stroke - etiology
Heat Stroke - pathology
Hot Temperature - adverse effects
Humans
Male
Multiple Organ Failure - etiology
Prognosis
Risk Factors
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Summary:Heat stroke is the most extreme form of heat-related illness. An imbalance between excessive body heat production and inadequate compensatory mechanisms can lead to multi-organ failure and even death. There are two types of heat stroke: exertional heat stroke and non-exertional (a.k.a. classical) heat stroke. In exertional heat stroke, extreme physical activity leads to overheating of the body, whereas classical heat stroke is usually caused by a hot environment without adequate thermoregulation. We present a case of classical heat stroke in an elderly patient. Since we are faced with an aging population in combination with an increase in heat waves as a consequence of climate change, increasing numbers of elderly people are expected to be at risk of heat stroke. Prevention and effective cooling by first responders are crucial for a better prognosis.
ISSN:0028-2162
1876-8784