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Jimu News reporter Liao Shiqi

Correspondent Liu Shanshan

Last week, due to the hot weather, an 80-year-old man did not use the air conditioner at home. As a result, he was "heat-stricken" and fell into a coma with a body temperature as high as 40.3℃. After being rushed to the hospital, the doctor finally diagnosed him with heat stroke, which is severe heatstroke. After active treatment by the expert team of the Critical Care Medicine Department of Wuhan Central Hospital, the old man's condition improved, he was conscious, and has now been discharged from the hospital.

81-year-old Granny Chen (pseudonym) usually lives alone at home. Last week, Wuhan experienced continuous high temperatures. She had diarrhea for no apparent reason because she had a poor appetite and ate very little. On the evening of the 25th, when her family visited Granny Chen, they found her lying on the bed with blurred consciousness, unresponsive, and scalding hot. In addition, the indoor temperature was high, and the doors and windows were closed. They immediately called 120 and rushed her to the Houhu Campus of Wuhan Central Hospital for treatment. The doctor measured her body temperature and it was as high as 40.3℃. Combined with the results of relevant examinations, the doctor judged that Granny Chen suffered from severe heatstroke, which had reached the level of heat stroke. After timely cooling and other emergency treatments, the emergency department medical staff transferred the elderly to the Department of Critical Care Medicine for further treatment.

The critical care medicine team is making rounds

The medical team of the Department of Critical Care Medicine immediately used ice blankets and other methods to quickly cool down the patient, actively replenish fluids, correct dehydration and electrolyte disorders, and closely monitor the patient's body temperature and other vital signs. After active treatment, Grandma Chen's body temperature dropped and her consciousness gradually became clear. The doctor inquired about the patient's medical history in detail and learned that the elderly woman had an air conditioner at home, but she didn't feel very hot, so she didn't turn it on. The doctor judged that the elderly woman had non-exertional heat stroke due to staying in a high-temperature, closed indoor environment for a long time and not replenishing water in time.

Long Ding, chief physician of the hospital's critical care medicine department, said that heatstroke is not only caused by outdoor exposure. As the elderly age, the functions of their organs gradually decline, and their perception of temperature weakens. In addition, some underlying diseases make their bodies unable to dissipate heat. If they stay in a high-temperature, poorly ventilated indoor environment for a long time, they will also suffer from heatstroke. In hot weather every year, it is not uncommon for the elderly to suffer from heatstroke indoors because they are reluctant or do not like to turn on the air conditioner.

According to the symptoms of heat stroke, it can be divided into three categories: precursor, mild and severe heat stroke. Precursor heat stroke refers to the symptoms of fatigue, sweating, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, thirst, nausea, etc. in hot weather; mild heat stroke, in addition to the symptoms of precursor heat stroke, also has flushed or pale face, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, burning or clammy skin, and body temperature above 38°C; severe heat stroke will cause fainting, coma, convulsions or high fever, with a body temperature exceeding 40°C, and heat stroke is an extremely severe form of heat stroke. If not treated in time, it can lead to multiple organ failure and seriously endanger life.

Experts remind that in addition to outdoor workers, the elderly and the weak should also be alert to heatstroke and should try to avoid going out during high temperature periods, especially from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Outdoor activities should be done in the shade as much as possible; drink water in time and carry anti-heat medicine when going out; at the same time, pay attention to the reasonable use of air conditioners and open windows for ventilation regularly to avoid large temperature differences between indoors and outdoors, which may cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents. In a high temperature environment, once symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, general weakness, and convulsions after sweating occur, be alert to the possibility of heatstroke, and go to a cool and ventilated place to rest in time, drink water as soon as possible, and if there is no relief, seek medical attention in time.

(Photo courtesy of Wuhan Central Hospital)

(Source: Jimu News)