Recognition and management of heat-related illness

Health care providers are challenged to recognize heat-related illness in a variety of settings--episodic office visits, acute emergency room visits, telephone advice calls, and in the community at local sporting events and social functions. In order to determine the cause and initiate appropriate management, the provider must realize the spectrum of heat-related illness, understand normal and abnormal thermoregulation, identify populations at risk, and identify treatment. The spectrum includes heat rash, heat edema, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a body temperature elevation of 40.5 degrees C or greater and cardiovascular and neurologic compromise that can result in death. Patient education is aimed at preventative measures to ward off recurrent heat-related illness, especially heat exhaustion and heat stroke.