The golden hour in heat stroke: use of iced peritoneal lavage.
A case of heat stroke is described in which the patient presented comatose with a rectal temperature exceeding 42.5 degrees C. Standard external evaporative cooling and iced gastric lavage failed to alter his temperature or mental status. Iced peritoneal lavage brought about a decrease in rectal temperature to 39.4 degrees C and significant improvement in mental status. The patient recovered uneventfully. Techniques of rapid cooling are discussed.
Horowitz
B Z
BZ
Division of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817.
D001831:Body Temperature; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006359:Heat Exhaustion / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors