Cases of heat related diseases on the rise

BBH ready to deal with patients of heat stroke

Rawalpindi

Benazir Bhutto Hospital in town is receiving significant number of patients with gastroenteritis and heat exhaustion along with other summer related disorders while claimed to have been well prepared to deal with cases of heat stroke if reported.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday reveals that so far the BBH has received no case of heat stroke though almost every third patient reaching BBH these days is suffering from some of the heat related disorder.

‘The News’ has learnt that majority of healthcare facilities in this region of the country are not prepared to deal with cases of heat stroke as they do not have any arrangement for having sufficient quantity of ice for cold sponging of patients or to give patients ice bath.

It is worth mentioning here that in 2014, as many as 11 deaths were attributed to
heat stroke in town and that was mainly because the healthcare facilities were not able to manage cases of heat stroke in emergency.

The BBH is receiving a greater burden of patients with summer related ailments including gastroenteritis, heat exhaustion and heat syncope along with a number of patients with typhoid or high-grade fever, said Medical superintendent at Benazir Bhutto Hospital Dr. Asif Qadir Mir while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.

The severe heat spell continues hitting population in the region and keeping this in mind, the BBH has arranged a special ‘cooling’ room for bringing core body temperature of a patient of heat stroke to 101 degree Fahrenheit or below immediately if a patient is reported, 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. Mir said people should be aware of various aspects of heat stroke and should take preventive measures to avoid it. It is important that heat stroke is considered as the most serious heat injury that may damage brain of a patient along with causing damage to a number of other organs.

To a query, Dr. Mir said the BBH is using refrigerators for producing ice that may be used in the room specified for treatment of heat stroke patients. “The BBH is maintaining low temperature in the room with the help of air conditioner and if needed, we have sufficient quantity of ice for sponging or bath of the patients.”

Deputy Director at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Dr. Waseem Ahmed Khawaja, however, informed ‘The News’ that most of the hospitals in both private and public sectors have not been operating ‘cold’ rooms that may be needed in case of reporting of patients with heat stroke.