The "easiest" emergency treatment for heat stroke

Summer is the hottest season of the year with high risk of causing heat stroke due to soaring temperature and increased outdoor activities. Prolonged exposure to high heat, especially during peak midday hours, can cause the body to lose its ability to regulate heat. This leads to heat stroke and ultimately death if not treated promptly. People with high risk of having a heat stroke are the elderly, children, pregnant women, and outdoor labors and workers.

Therefore, it is important to identify symptoms of a heat stroke early to be able to treat them in a timely manner.

"It is best to treat a heat stroke patient within the first 30 minutes. If the are treated within the first 15 minutes of showing symptoms of a heat stroke, the patient have a 100% rate of survival. 80% within the first 30 minutes. This will rapidly decrease after the first 30 minutes, 40% at 60 minutes, and only 5-10% after 60 minutes."

- Prof. Nguyen Gia Binh, chairman of Vietnam Association of Critical Care Medicine, Emergency & Clinical Toxicology

Heat stroke symptoms include:

• Confusion, altered mental state, slurred speech
  

• Fainting

• Hot, dry skin, and sweating profusely

• Seizures
  

• Rapid rises in body temperature

The most important thing to do when someone is experiencing a heat stroke is to move them to a cool and shaded area. Remove their clothes and assess their conciousness. This is a crucial moment to lower the patient's body temperature. This can determine the patient's survivability. It is important to lower their body temperature before moving to a medical facility.

The patient needs to be treated on the scene within the first 30 minutes to minimize any damage to the nervous system. Immerge the patient in 150 to 180L of water and 15kg of ice (water temperature below 15 Celsius). Notice to keep the patient's neck and head above water. Keep the patient under water until their body temperature reaches 39 - 41°C or they are having chills.

If submersion in cold water is not feasible, utilize any appropriate cooling method available on the scene. Using ice bucket, water and 12 rags to transfer heat. Place the rags on the patient's body for 2-3 minutes before replacing them for new ones. Do this continuously until the patient's body temperature is lowered.

A bathtub can be replaced with bed sheets or any form of wrappers. Put a large amount of ice in contact with the patient's skin then wrap them inside.

During transportation, continue lowering the patient's body temperature. Notice that in case of heat stroke, antipyretic does not have any effect. Thus, do not administer to the patient.

After arrival at the hospital or a medical facility, patient will be diagnosed by doctors for appropriate treatment.