Can you get heatstroke in winter? 3 tips for first aid when you faint while running

Run for love, do what you can! A 32-year-old groom-to-be sprinted through the entire 6-kilometer race three days before his wedding, refusing even to drink water, in an attempt to surprise his fiancée by winning the top three medals. Unexpectedly, he suffered from heatstroke in the winter heat, and sought emergency medical help to cool down. It took him an hour of first aid before he regained consciousness. Doctors provide cooling and first aid tips for heat stroke, reminding people not to soak in or drink ice water directly, as this may make it difficult to dissipate heat and may even endanger their lives.

Due to abnormal climate, road running in winter may also cause heatstroke due to high ambient temperature and air humidity, which makes it difficult for the body to dissipate heat.

The groom collapsed after running 6 kilometers without drinking water due to heat stroke

The 32-year-old groom-to-be, surnamed Wang, was going to get married on November 21. However, when he participated in the "Hai Xin Cup" road running race organized by the Central Patrol Bureau of the Coast Guard Administration at 3 pm on November 18, in order to compete for the top three and win a medal to surprise his fiancée, he sprinted at full speed from the start. He was afraid of wasting time along the way and even did not drink water. As a result, he suddenly fell to the ground after crossing the 6-kilometer finish line and was unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment. The temperature during the event was about 30 degrees and the humidity was 80%.

Wu Zhaoxin, director of the emergency room at Tong General Hospital, said that when the man arrived at the hospital, his ear temperature was as high as 40 degrees Celsius, his skin was red, he was unconscious, and he was vomiting continuously. The emergency doctor diagnosed him with life-threatening heat stroke and immediately gave him a full range of cooling measures, including removing all clothes, running electric fans at high speed to dissipate heat, spraying water with atomizers, cooling with ice packs, and intravenous infusion therapy. After one hour of first aid, the patient regained consciousness.

Heat stroke is very serious and delayed treatment leads to 80% mortality

"Heat stroke" refers to exposure to a high temperature environment, causing the central body temperature to exceed 41.1°C, accompanied by neurological dysfunction such as coma and convulsions. Heat stroke is often caused by an inability to regulate body temperature, resulting in abnormal sweating and inability to dissipate heat. The elderly, children, people with chronic diseases and alcoholics are all high-risk groups.

Dr. Wu Zhaoxin said that the safest and most effective way to dissipate heat is to take off all clothes, use an electric fan to blow strong air, and use a sprayer to spray water. (Photo provided by Tong General Hospital)

Dr. Wu Zhaoxin said that there are very few patients who truly meet the clinical definition of "heat stroke", but their condition is very serious, with a mortality rate of up to 80% due to delayed treatment. Most of the others suffer from symptoms of heat exhaustion due to the loss of too much water and salt caused by the high temperature environment.

What first aid should be provided when encountering heat stroke? In addition to calling for emergency medical help and sending to a doctor, Dr. Wu Zhaoxin provides three on-site first aid tips so that patients can be relieved of the crisis of heat stroke as soon as possible with appropriate assistance. However, doctors also remind the public that prevention is better than cure, and drinking plenty of water and avoiding direct exposure to the sun for more than 15 minutes can avoid the threat of heat stroke.

【3 tips for first aid on heat stroke scene】

1. Ensure clear consciousness: First, move the patient to a cool and ventilated place and elevate the head. For those who are conscious, drink plenty of water and saline solution; if the patient loses consciousness and has symptoms of nausea or vomiting, do not give him/her any more water. Next, help the patient sit up or lie on his side with his head tilted to one side, keeping the airway open to prevent choking.

2. Three-in-one heat dissipation method: take off all clothes, use an electric fan to blow strong air, and use a sprayer to spray water to increase the heat dissipation speed.

3. Apply ice without soaking in ice water: Use an ice water bag to apply ice to the neck, armpits, groin, etc., so that the arterial circulation can slowly cool down. It should be noted that patients should not be allowed to drink ice water or soak their whole body in ice water to cool down, so as to avoid complications such as blood vessel constriction, making it more difficult to dissipate heat, and inability to deliver electric shock during emergency treatment of arrhythmia.