Clinical Studies on the Emergency Management for 22 Cases of Heat Disorder .

Park,  Sung Tae; Oh,  Sun Woong; Yoo,  Hak Shim

doi:1971.4.1.1

Korean Journal of Anesthesiology 1971;4(1):1-7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1971.4.1.1

Sung Tae Park, Sun Woong Oh, Hak Shim Yoo

Department of Anesthesiology, Chin Hae Naval Hospital, Chin Hae, Korea.

Abstract

Heat disorders are not uncommon in the military society due to supposedly hard training to overcome the environmental conditions. Twenty-two soldiers with heat disorders were admitted to Chin Hae Naval Hospital June 1969 through July 1970. Hoping that our clinical studies on them contribute to a renewed understanding, the results are reported in summary as follows: 1) Heat disorders occurred with an overall incidence of 3.1 per cent during running in early summer. 2) Of the twenty-two patients, eight (37 per cent) had heat cramps, six (27 per cent) heat exhaustion, five(23 per cent) heat stroke, and three(13 per cent) had undetermined disorder. 3) Ten patients(45 per cent) were comatous, and this occurred most frequently(80 per cent) among those with heat stroke. 4) All patients were grouped into four according to their physical status on admission. Those with heat exhaustion mostly belonged to group I (good) or group II (fair). Those with heat stroke and heat cramps eomprised most of group III (poor) and group IV (grave). 5) Group I and II patients recovered within 12 hours; group III, within 12~24 hours; and group IV, required more than 24 hours of care. 6) One patient with heat stroke, graded V, expired with sudden hypothermia 15 hours following admission. Overall mortality of heat disorders was 4.5 per cent, and that of heat stroke 20 per cent. 7) The rest recovered uneventfully within 19 hours of average.