Young man in critical condition after 2 hours of motorbike ride from Hanoi to his hometown in the midday sun

A 21-year-old man (from Phu Tho) was taken to the emergency room at the district medical center, then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit - Phu Tho General Hospital in a deep coma, Glasgow (consciousness assessment scale) score of only 5 points, breathing through a bag, convulsions throughout the body, body temperature of 40.5 degrees Celsius, rapid pulse, low blood pressure.

Doctors perform resuscitation measures and comprehensive examinations to rule out brain and cerebrovascular abnormalities and other causes.

Test results determined that the young man had severe heat stroke, with a 30-40% risk of death. This is a difficult and very serious case.

After consulting in the department, doctors applied the command hypothermia technique to control body temperature and other active resuscitation measures such as mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, blood filtration, and electrolyte replacement to correct disorders caused by shock and hyperthermia.

After 5 days of maintaining controlled hypothermia (using cooling techniques to reduce and control body temperature to 32-36°C), 2 days of blood filtration and combined extreme treatments, the patient's consciousness gradually regained and the disorders gradually stabilized.

On the 8th day, the patient was removed from the ventilator. After 22 days of treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital.

According to experts, heat stroke is a condition of increased body temperature >40 degrees Celsius accompanied by dysfunction of organs such as the nervous system, respiration, and circulation, leading to impaired consciousness or coma.

This phenomenon is common in the summer, especially on hot days. The sudden increase in temperature is absorbed from outside the body at work or in a hot environment for a long time. Due to the loss of body temperature control, heat stroke has a high risk of death if not treated quickly and properly.

Signs of heat stroke include signs of exhaustion, a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, feeling very hot and dry, not sweating even though the body is very hot, rapid, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, gradual loss of consciousness, seizures, and unresponsiveness.

When someone has heat stroke, we need to take them to a cool place, indoors is best, but if not, take them to a shady place. Remove as much of the outer clothing as possible. Call an ambulance. Use a fan to cool them while waiting.

Reduce the patient's body temperature as soon as possible at the scene, do not wait until arriving at the hospital with a wet towel (wrung out), cool compress, fan, regularly measure the temperature and continue to apply cool compress until the body temperature drops to 38 degrees Celsius. When the temperature has decreased, remove the wet towel and replace it with a dry one.

You should also calm the patient until medical help arrives. Note to avoid using ice water, which can cause peripheral vasoconstriction and increase core body temperature.

When an ambulance arrives, quickly help cool the body and take the patient to a medical facility.

To limit heat stroke, people need to remember to drink plenty of water, especially when exercising, wear loose, cool clothing, avoid going outside during the hottest time of the day (11am - 3pm), take cool baths, avoid drinking too much alcohol, and avoid over-exercising.