Heat injuries in Children

Four factors are believed to reduce a child’s ability to lose heat during exercise in a warm environment:

• Children produce more metabolic heat per unit of mass than adults during exercise at the same workload
• Children have a lower sweating capacity than adults
• Children have a reduced ability to transfer heat from the body core to the body surface
• Children have a greater surface area to weight ratio which facilitates heat gain from the environment during exercise in the heat. Children also acclimatize to heat more slowly than adults do.

Prevention of heat injuries:

In hot conditions, children should either reduce the intensity of their activities or avoid exercise for longer than 30 minutes at a time.

When moving to a warmer climate, children should be allowed 10 to 15 days for heat acclimatization to occur. During this time, they should gradually increase the intensity and duration of their exercise sessions.

Children should wear lightweight porous clothing and drink fluids regularly during exercise.-300ml per hour for a child weighing 40kg.

Rubberized sweat suits must never be used in an attempt to lose weight.

Sunburn

The nose, neck, shoulders and above the feet is very vulnerable to sunburn. It is advisable to use a good sunscreen. Prevention is better than cure.

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia, an abnormally elevated body temperature with accompanying physical and neurological symptoms. Heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated.

The body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and is usually able to dissipate the heat by either radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However, in extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to (41.1°C) or higher. Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise.

Symptoms of heat stroke

Symptoms of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heat exhaustion before progressing to heat strokes.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• fatigue
• weakness
• headache
• muscle cramps and aches, and dizziness

Some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning.

Different people may have different symptoms and signs of heat stroke.

Common symptoms and signs of heat stroke include:

• High body temperature
• The absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin
• Rapid pulse
• Difficulty breathing
• Strange behaviour
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
• Agitation
• Disorientation
• Seizure
• Coma

Treatment of a heat-stroke victim

Victims of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent organ damage.

• First and foremost, cool the victim
• Get the victim to a shady area
• Remove clothing
• Apply cool or tepid water to the skin (for example you may spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose)
• fan the victim to promote sweating and evaporation, and place ice packs under armpits and groins
• Monitor body temperature with a thermometer and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to (38.3-38.8°C)
• Always notify emergency services (082911) immediately. If their arrival is delayed, they can give you further instructions for treatment of the victim

 

Compiled by Linda van Graan

Bsc Physiotherapy