title: Successful treatment of severe heatstroke with therapeutic hypothermia by a noninvasive external cooling system.
abstract: Heatstroke is a life-threatening disease; however, no pharmacologic treatment has proven to be effective. In severe cases with multiple organ dysfunction, the mortality remains high and many patients inevitably develop permanent neurologic damage. We report a near-fatal case of exertional heatstroke with multiple organ dysfunction, including generalized convulsions, acute lung injury, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, successfully treated with induced therapeutic hypothermia (33°C [91.4°F]) by a noninvasive external cooling system. After treatment, the patient completely recovered, without any neurologic sequelae during 1 year of follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of using therapeutic hypothermia in heatstroke.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan City, Taiwan.
authors: Jen-Yee
authors: JY
authors: Hong
authors: Yi-Chun
authors: YC
authors: Lai
authors: Cheng-Yu
authors: CY
authors: Chang
authors: Shih-Chieh
authors: SC
authors: Chang
authors: Gau-Jun
authors: GJ
authors: Tang
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D018883:Heat Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult