Open AccessSepsis, Septic Shock, and Fatal Exertional Heat Stroke
Author(s) -
Yoram Epstein,
William O. Roberts,
Ron Golan,
Yuval Heled,
Patrick Sorkine,
Pinchas Halpern
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
current sports medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.424
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1537-8918
pISSN - 1537-890X
DOI - 10.1249/jsr.0000000000000112
Subject(s) - medicine , systemic inflammatory response syndrome , hyperthermia , sepsis , septic shock , intensive care medicine , stroke (engine) , encephalopathy , intensive care , organ dysfunction , mechanical engineering , engineering
Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a clinical syndrome of hyperthermia, encephalopathy, and multiorgan dysfunction that can be irreversible and fatal. While prompt recognition and immediate, aggressive total body cooling can prevent progression of the clinical syndrome, even a short delay can exacerbate the effects of hyperthermia-induced changes. EHS is linked to an inflammatory response that is akin to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). However because EHS is not a common problem in most hospital intensive care units and is not in the usual list of SIRS causes, it may be overlooked easily. Furthermore normalizing the body temperature of patients with EHS, especially when hyperthermia recognition and total body cooling are delayed, may not prevent SIRS and its clinical consequences. This narrative review focuses on the inflammatory response behind the pathway leading to EHS-associated organ pathology and recommends a new insight to possible clinical interventions beyond whole body cooling.