title: Exertional heat stroke in a young military trainee: is it preventable?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition with exertional heat stroke occurring frequently among soldiers and athletes. Because of its common occurrence, many military trainees practice preventive measures prior to any activity requiring severe exertion. Although it is said to be common in practice, different presentations of heat stroke are scarcely described in literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a case of an exertional heat stroke in a 23-year-old male Sinhalese soldier who developed early changes of renal failure, liver failure and rhabdomyolysis. The patient initially presented with convulsions, delirium and loss of consciousness to an outside health care facility before being transferred to our institution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is clear that heat stroke does occur in military trainees while preventive strategies are being practiced. It is important for those who provide healthcare to soldiers to provide proper advice on how to identify impending heat stroke prior to any exercises resulting in severe physical exertion. Further, treating physicians should educate all military trainees about preventive strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Buddhika T B
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5378-6065
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Wijerathne
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Senaka D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pilapitiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Vadivel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vijitharan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Mohammed M F
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Farah
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Yashodhara V M
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Wimalasooriya
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Saliyapura, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Sisira H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Siribaddana
keywords: Asymptomatic infection; Heat stroke; Military trainee