Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025
08:22
A Preclinical Model of Exertional Heat Stroke in Mice
Published on: July 1, 2021
3.8K
Exertional heat stroke: pathophysiology and risk factors
Christian K Garcia1, Liliana I Renteria2, Gabriel Leite-Santos2
1Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
BMJ Medicine
|March 20, 2023
Summary
Exertional heat stroke is a severe heat illness causing athlete mortality. Understanding its risk factors and pathophysiology is crucial for prevention and effective treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Physiology
Background:
- Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a critical medical emergency and the third leading cause of athletic death.
- It is characterized by central nervous system dysfunction and hyperthermia during physical exertion, exacerbated by environmental heat.
- EHS can affect non-athletes during heatwaves, with survivors facing long-term health issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current literature on the pathophysiology and risk factors of exertional heat stroke.
- To identify knowledge gaps and encourage future research in EHS.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on exertional heat stroke.
- Analysis of epidemiological data, pathophysiology, and risk factors.
Main Results:
- EHS involves thermoregulatory and cardiovascular overload, leading to hyperthermia and multi-organ injury.
- Mortality rates are approximately 27%, with significant long-term health consequences for survivors.
- Potential risk factors include dehydration, sex, age, body composition, and prior illness.
Conclusions:
- Immediate cooling is the primary treatment for exertional heat stroke.
- Further research is needed to fully understand EHS risk factors and improve prevention and management.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature
162
Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
162
01:25Increased Body Temperature
733
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...
733
01:14Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
392
Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant...
392
01:28Factors Affecting Body Temperature
4.6K
As a nurse, it is vital to understand the factors affecting body temperature to monitor variations and effectively evaluate deviations from regular.
Factors may include:
Factors may include:
4.6K
01:25Body Temperature
1.1K
The body's temperature, measured in degrees, is determined by the balance between heat production and dissipation to the surrounding environment. For instance, if exercising vigorously, the body will produce more heat, causing sweat and dissipating that heat. Despite extreme environmental conditions and physical exertion, the human temperature-control system maintains a constant core body temperature (the temperature of deep tissues, which are the tissues located beneath the skin and other...
1.1K
01:25Types of Fever
444
Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
Here are the different types of fever:
444