HEAT ILLNESS

Course overview

THE DISORDERS OF HYPERTHERMIA, ALSO KNOWN AS HEAT-RELATED INJURY OR ILLNESS, EXIST ON A CONTINUUM, WHICH IS MARKED BY DYSREGULATION OF THE BODY’S THERMOREGULATORY CAPACITY. THIS CAN VARY BOTH IN PRESENTATION AND IN SEVERITY, FROM BENIGN CONDITIONS, INCLUDING HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT EDEMA, TO LIFE-THREATENING HYPERTHERMIA, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS HEATSTROKE. THIS ACTIVITY WILL DISCUSS NON-LIFE-THREATENING HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE THESE CONDITIONS APPROPRIATELY AS MODERATE HYPERTHERMIA CAN PROGRESS TO LIFE-THREATENING HEATSTROKE. AS SUCH, INCLUDING THESE INJURIES IN MEDICAL DECISION-MAKING, PROMPT IDENTIFICATION, AND APPROPRIATE TREATMENT IS IMPORTANT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL ALSO REVIEW THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, INCLUDING AT-RISK POPULATIONS, RED-FLAG FEATURES OF PATIENT PRESENTATIONS, TREATMENT OPTIONS AND STRATEGIES, AND PREVENTATIVE TECHNIQUES, WHICH ALL PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN DECREASING THE MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, AND HEALTHCARE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE INJURIES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HEAT ILLNESS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE HEALTHCARE TEAM'S ROLE IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.