What Is Heatstroke?

Video Transcript

"Heat stroke usually is brought on by physical exertion, usually outside on a hot day. Humidity is probably not that much of a factor, but core temp is usually the basis on the diagnostics required to or the symptomatology required to diagnose heat stroke. So it progresses through stages, there are three stages, the end result would be heat stroke. The symptomatology of heat stroke could be dehydration is always a possibility depending on the outside ambient temperature factors and what is going on.You see a lot with football and baseball injuries throughout the sports seasons, especially during the hotter times of the year. The best ways to diagnose heat stroke or heat related emergencies is by core temperature. Core temperature is measured rectally with a rectal thermometer, 106 at one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit, disorientation, altered mental status, and brain death begins. At one hundred and twenty-two the body is not physically cable of sustaining the normal functions of life, and complete death will occur at one hundred and twenty-two degrees. Basic treatment of heat stroke is slow cooling. You need to make sure that you look out for tremors, bear in mind also that tremors can also cause warming of the muscles and the rest of the body, and so forth. So slow cooling, get the patient into the ambulance as soon as possible, and cool with tepid water, nothing real cold. No ice, be real careful with ice packs in the certain areas that ice packs maybe. In that we are trying to prevent tremors and shivering from occurring. Disorientation occurs within heat stroke altered mental status, slurred speech, hypertension, and tachycardia are all possible symptoms of heat stroke. The best treatment for heat stroke is like we just talked about, just slow cooling, intravenous IV fluids, cardiac monitoring, and also be aware that cardiac dysrhythmias and arrhythmias may occur in the presence of heat stroke involving dehydration as well."