PIMS issues guidelines on summer-related health threats

Islamabad

The administration of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has issued guidelines for awareness among public on summer-related serious health threats including sunstroke and deputed additional staff in related departments to diagnose and manage patients suffering from heat related disorders in time to avoid losses of lives.

The PIMS administration has provided more staff at its emergency department to treat patients reaching there with heat related disorders well in time, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Waseem Ahmed Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.

He added that highly trained staff has been deputed in all related departments to diagnose in time heat related disorders as the emergency department of the hospital has started receiving 10 to 15 patients daily with complaints of severe heat related disorders. “The PIMS, however, has not received any patient with sunstroke as yet,” he said.

He explained that as many as 14 disorders result from exposure to extreme heat including heat stroke, heat hyperpyrexia, heat exhaustion, heat syncope and heat cramps of which heat stroke is often fatal if the patient is not taken to a hospital well in time.

Talking of an expected severe heat spell in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi after a week or so, he said that there is a need to create awareness among public on key signs and symptoms of heat related disorders including heat stroke that may be life threatening in case of ignorance. It is need of the time to make public aware of the fact that by taking preventive measures properly, they can avoid these serious health threats, he said.

Heat stroke that results from failure of heat regulating mechanism is characterized by very high body temperature which may rise up to 105.1 Fahrenheit or 40.6 degree centigrade with profound disturbances including convulsions, coma, dry hot skin, with no sweating or sometimes excessive sweating and it can be fatal even if the patient is taken quickly to a hospital.

Dr. Khawaja said that treatment of heat stroke consists of rapidly cooling of the body in ice water bath till the temperature falls below 38.9 degree centigrade. He added that the rectal temperature should be monitored continuously both to monitor the efficacy of hypothermia treatment and to guard against the development of clinically significant hypothermia which can occur if cooling is continued too long.

He said if a patient feels excessive heat, he or she can have symptoms like headache, body pains, general weakness, vertigo, laziness, increased perspiration, restlessness, increased thirst, nausea or vomiting and after developing these symptoms, the patient should report to the nearest healthcare facility for diagnosis and treatment.

He explained that in case of sunstroke, perspiration stops and the skin gets red and dry. In many cases, the patient faces difficulty in breathing and suffers from nausea, and vomiting leading to drowsiness and coma that may result in death if not treated in time. In case of sunstroke attack, the body temperature of the patients needs to be taken down by putting cold water or ice and massaging feet and hands. The patient should be shifted immediately to a colder place under shadow and elevate legs. Shoes and socks should be removed immediately and the patient should be shifted to a hospital as soon as possible, said Dr. Khawaja.