Safety and efficacy of cold-water immersion in the treatment of older patients with heat stroke: a case series
Ito C, Takahashi I, Kasuya M, Oe K, Uchino M, Nosaka H, Sakamoto S, Yoshida R, Kasuya S, Fujimori D, Nakamura S, Yamada E, Kanda J
Acute medicine & surgery · 3 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Case report (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2021-01-01 · Acute Med Surg · vol. 8 · issue 1 · p. e635
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 7 citations · more than 66% of similar papers · 0.7× the field average
- References
- 6 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Thermal Regulation in Medicine · Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Keywords
- Medicine, Immersion (mathematics), Hyperthermia, Heat illness, Stroke (engine), Core temperature, Anesthesia, Internal medicine, Meteorology
13 authors
From JP
- Chikao Ito · correspondingAsahi General Hospital
- Isao TakahashiAsahi General Hospital
- Miyuki KasuyaAsahi General Hospital
- Kyoji OeAsahi General Hospital
- Masahito UchinoAsahi General Hospital
- Hideki NosakaAsahi General Hospital
Abstract
Background
Heat stroke treatment focuses on rapid cooling because symptom severity correlates with the duration of hyperthermia (i.e., time during which the core body temperature is sustained above the critical threshold). Several reports have revealed that cold-water immersion is a safe and appropriate therapy for exertional heat stroke in young, otherwise healthy patients. However, few reports have assessed cold-water immersion in older patients. We document three cases of cold-water immersion in older heat stroke patients and evaluate its safety and efficacy.
Case presentation
Three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold-water immersion. Core body temperatures decreased rapidly, and no complications occurred during the treatment.
Conclusion
Cold-water immersion can achieve rapid cooling and is effective in treating heat stroke. With special precautions, it can be performed safely for older patients. Further investigation is warranted to establish appropriate cooling methods in older adults.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
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