Heat Dehydration And Heat Related Emergencies

Heat injuries are very serious and cause 240 deaths per year, they are the third leading

Hypothermia and hyperthermia are very different disorders. The definition of hypothermia is the condition of having an abnormally low body temperature, typically one that is dangerously low. The definition of hyperthermia is the condition of having a body temperature greatly above normal.

However, other resources, such as mobile doctors may be available to prevent the patient from requiring hospital admission (17). Furthermore, certain approaches to pain relief, such as warm running water and cold packs, are not always readily available to paramedics. Thus implementing these procedures as a necessary part of paramedic practice would not prove practical. However, paramedics should be aware of the different approaches to relieving pain for these patients and be further aware that if the resources are available, they should be utilised in order to provide as much relief as possible to the suffering

With prolonged heat exposure the older adult is not able to shed excess heat at an adequate rate. This can result in adverse effects such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and exacerbating chronic health conditions. Some things that can be done to help decrease these adverse effects are to educate the older adult on the effects exposure to heat can have, and having the older adult refrain from prolonged heat exposure. Providing the older adult with ways to stay cool while in the heat include, wearing a hat, or a cool wet towel around the neck to aid in the older adult not overheating. Another thing that needs to be assessed is if the patient has air conditioning or a fan to help keep the older adults living environment in a safe temperature during hot days (Kravchenko, Abernethy, Fawzy, & Lyerly,

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The application of cold can induce local hypothermia, which leads to vasoconstriction and result in reduced blood flow, inflammation and oedema (Block, 2010). This information also supports the efficacy of cold therapy as in case of bleeding, 250 ml less blood loss can be observed among patients, including Mrs Sawyer, who received cold therapy (Adie et al., 2012). The effect of the cold therapy that has been applied for a period of 15-20 minutes, can last for up to 30 minutes (Block, 2010). The improvement of pain is partially associated with the reduction of oedema and diminished nerve conduction (Block, 2010). According to Chou et al., (2016), the use of multimodal regimen to enhance pain management in line with reduced opioid consumption is strongly recommended. Chou et al., (2016), also explained and compered the efficacy of different physical modalities including

Redcross: Beat the heat: heatstroke signs, symptoms and what you can do to help. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.redcross.org.au/heatstroke-symptoms.aspx

Therapeutic hypothermia occurs in three phases, which include induction, maintenance, and rewarming. This process must be controlled to prevent and or control adverse reactions like arrhythmias, skin break down, and electrolyte imbalances. Maintaining the target body temperature is crucial

That being said, it takes an abnormally high body temperature to be classified as hyperthermia. Usually the body reaches an internal temperature of 104°F before it goes into shock and dies. It can be caused from extreme weather conditions, drug use, other medical conditions could cause the body to not be able to stabilize the internal core temperature. In order to treat hyperthermia, doctors need to restore the temperature back to its normal 98.6°F. Serious consequences can come from hyperthermia, including tissue damage, organ damage if the tissues are damaged severely, lesions on internal organs, and sometimes fatality. Heat stroke occurs in both male and female. The illness effects people who are over 50 more severely, because they are unable to fight off the increasing heat. Circulation is also poor in elderly people due to deteriorating artery walls. This is a huge issue when dealing with hyperthermia because older people will have a harder time circulating more blood cells to damaged sites. Small children often suffer from heat stroke because they have a larger surface to weight ratio. Treatment for hyperthermia is to cool down the body, but not to the point where the patient will become hypothermic. Doctors use both internal and external techniques in order to balance the temperature. A few signs and symptoms include dizziness, confusion from the heat affecting the mental state of the patient and nausea. So remember to take caution when sitting out in the sun for long periods of time. Your body is susceptible for hyperthermia and potentially other health

Hyperthermia is a symptom also known as heat stroke. This occurs when the internal or core body temperature rises above 105˚ Fahrenheit. Milder forms of hyperthermia usually due to exertion can result in muscle cramps to areas such as the legs. Usually, the person’s body temperature will remain normal, but they will need to find salt replacement, fluids, and cool place to rest. Another mild form of hyperthermia is heat exhaustion, which is similar to heat cramps. The person’s body temperature may rise slightly (or be normal), but they may suffer from symptoms such as a headache, dizziness, thirst, or weakness.

Hypothermia occurs when an infant's core body temperature drops below 97.5 degrees. When an infant experience cold stress conditions through being exposed to moist atmospheric conditions, then enters into an environment where they are unable to regain lost body heat, hypothermia sets in. Premature and low-birth weight babies are greater risk of hypothermia. However, in general all newborns are susceptible to hypothermia, as they do not have to ability to maintain proper body temperature. Here are some example of hypothermia in an infant:

On 06/02/16, on the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) care was provided for a patient with induced hypothermia and re-warming status post cardiac arrest. The patient had arrived to the hospital on 06/01/16 for a planned operation. Patient went into cardiac arrest while at the operation room and was brought into the CVICU the same day. Orders for adult induced hypothermia and re-warming were made and the patient was started on this procedure. On 06/02/16 the doctor was reviewing the notes about the patient, and noticed that the process of initiating hypothermia (goal temperature 33 degrees Celsius) had taken longer than the time frame protocol stated.

The differences between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke is that with Heat Exhaustion a person has no altered mental status, and the victims skin is clammy, not hot. With Heat Exhaustion, some symptoms would be flulike symptoms followed by shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. The treatment for Heat Exhaustion is to first move the person out of the heat, then remove any heavy clothing. If you can, douse the victim with water and hydrate them with a drink. Immediately call 911. With Heat Stroke some symptoms would be confusion, and the person being in hot sun. The treatment for Heat Stroke would be to remove the person out of the sun and remove all their clothing. Try to cool the victim down until thief mental state improves. Immediately

f you learn only one thing from this site, I hope it is how to prevent hypothermia and treat it if it occurs. While everyone worries about bears, they really should be worried about this. This is how the scenario usually goes up here and if you're a person who sweats easily, like me, the scenario happens quite often:

Getting proper shade to regulate body temperatures can also be partnered with acclimatization. This is where the body begins to become accustomed to the heat, thus allowing the body to sweat earlier and at a faster rate, and the sweat will contain lesser amounts of sodium. It can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks for workers to fully adapt to the heat, but this allows the body to retain more water and cool off better. Acclimatization will also improve blood flow and reduce the heart rate when working in high temperatures. To properly acclimate a worker, their workloads should be gradually increased each day as the body gets used to the strenuous work in the heat. It is important to monitor workers during this process as they are at a higher risk of suffering heat illness before their bodies get adapted to the heat.