What is heat stroke and heatstroke in children? Is this the same symptom? Pediatric heatstroke and heatstroke are distinguished by two different symptoms. We should have a detailed understanding of heat stroke and heatstroke in children.
1. Heat stroke. Children who have been exposed to high temperatures or have a history of exposure to the scorching sun, experience elevated body temperature, sweating, dehydration accompanied by restlessness, drowsiness, muscle twitching, or consciousness disorders, should be considered for heatstroke. Elevated body temperature is one of the main characteristics of heatstroke, and the higher the body temperature, the longer the duration, and the worse the prognosis. A body temperature of 41 ℃ is a dangerous indicator, often resulting in coma or convulsions. If the ultra-high fever persists for several hours, survivors may have permanent brain damage; When the body temperature reaches 42 ℃, it is prone to secondary central respiratory and circulatory failure, leading to death; Losing a large amount of sodium chloride in the body can also cause paroxysmal limb muscle spasms and seizures; Due to high fever, dehydration, acidosis, increased blood concentration or viscosity, DIC can be induced, leading to sudden deterioration of the condition and even death.
2. Heat syndrome. Children with summer heat syndrome often experience fever during the hot summer season, with the vast majority of cases occurring between the ages of one and two. It is rare for children under six months and over three years old.
(1) Body temperature: Between 38-40 ℃, it can be of the missed, relaxed, or irregular fever type, and it persists. The hotter the weather, the higher the body temperature. The fever period can last for 1-3 months and naturally subsides when the climate cools down. Wuhan pediatricians have observed some children who have been suffering from persistent fever for a long time, and their body temperature dropped to normal after moving to Lushan.
(2) Drinking and urinating frequently: Although the child has sweat gland dysfunction, their kidney function is normal, resulting in frequent and clear urination. Although the urine volume is not as much as that of diabetes insipidus, it can still reach more than 20 times a day and night. It does not contain protein and the urine density is often below 1.008; Due to the decrease in water content between tissues, saliva secretion decreases, leading to thirst and excessive drinking, with a daily intake of over 3L.
(3) Less sweating or no sweating: Most people do not sweat, only sometimes there is slight sweating in the head at the onset of the disease.
(4) Other situations: At the beginning of the illness, the general condition is good, without showing any signs of illness, or there may be occasional digestive problems or symptoms similar to a cold, but most of them are not severe. The physical examination showed no other positive signs except for slight congestion in the throat. During high fever, startle and drowsiness can be seen, and severe neurological symptoms are rare. When the heat persists, there may be decreased appetite, pallor, emaciation, weakness, restlessness, and the appearance of chronic illness. Except for some cases where the lymphocyte percentage increased, laboratory test results were mostly within the normal range.
(5) Course of illness: Most cases last for 1-2 months, but can also last for 3-4 months until the fever and other symptoms gradually subside after leaving the high-temperature environment or autumn cool.
There are certain differences in symptoms between pediatric heatstroke and heatstroke, so we should not assume that these are the same symptoms, but rather understand the differences between the two.
