High temperatures must prevent severe heat stroke in the elderly

  The patient, male, 84 years old, had a history of chronic bronchitis. On August 3, the patient developed fever, general malaise, and poor appetite, and his family thought it was a respiratory tract infection and took oral “antipyretics” on their own. The diagnosis was severe heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Case 2: The patient, male, 92 years old, with a history of hypertension, was active outdoors in the morning of August 5, fainted and collapsed one hour later, and was sent to the emergency room by 120, body temperature was measured at 42℃, cerebrovascular accident was excluded, and severe heat stroke and heat stroke were diagnosed. Both elderly people were hospitalized in our hospital and are now discharged with physical recovery. Combining these two cases, we will talk about the experience of severe heat stroke in the elderly.  In recent years, due to the improvement of the working environment and people’s knowledge of heat stroke prevention, the proportion of middle-aged and young people suffering from heat stroke has decreased, while cases of severe heat stroke in the elderly have emerged. The reasons for this are as follows: 1, the elderly sweat gland function is weakened, heat dissipation is poor, easy heat accumulation generated heat stroke.  2, most elderly people with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, water, electrolyte regulation ability decreased, prone to heatstroke, and heatstroke may be considered as symptoms of underlying disease and delayed, sent to the hospital after the condition is already very serious.  3, high-temperature environment, the elderly home is usually to save electricity or fear of blowing air conditioning cold, did not take good cooling measures and heat stroke.  Therefore, if the elderly in hot weather fever, thirst, chest tightness, weakness and other symptoms of heatstroke, must be sent to the hospital in time for treatment!