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Early organ dysfunction course, cooling time and outcome in classic heatstroke

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Abstract

Purpose

To describe the course of early organ dysfunction in a cohort of patients admitted in ICU suffering classic heatstroke.

Methods

Prospective observational single-centre cohort study with a 1-year follow-up.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and main results

Clinical and biological data of 22 patients were analysed. Median body temperature on admission was 41.1°C. Respiratory, circulatory, haematological, hepatic and renal function all deteriorated within the first 24 h of admission. ICU-mortality was 63.6%. Cooling time, serum lactate, serum cardiac troponin I and creatinine were significantly higher in non-survivors. Early ICU-mortality (within 7 days of ICU stay) was due to multiple organ failure. Late ICU-mortality was due to neurological disability.

Conclusions

Classic heat stroke may demonstrate a rapidly worsening organ dysfunction course leading to death even though cooling procedures and intensive care management are promptly started.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all medical and nursing staff of Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard for their help during these dramatic events. No grant support or funding sources were provided for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Intensive Care Unit, AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, 75018, Paris, France

    Sebastian Pease, Lila Bouadma, Frédérique Schortgen, Bernard Régnier & Michel Wolff

  2. Surgical Intensive Care Unit, AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, 75018, Paris, France

    Nathalie Kermarrec

  3. Intensive Care Unit, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, 100 boulevard du Général Leclerc, 92118, Clichy cedex, France

    Sebastian Pease

Authors
  1. Sebastian Pease
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  2. Lila Bouadma
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  3. Nathalie Kermarrec
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  4. Frédérique Schortgen
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  5. Bernard Régnier
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  6. Michel Wolff
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sebastian Pease.

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Pease, S., Bouadma, L., Kermarrec, N. et al. Early organ dysfunction course, cooling time and outcome in classic heatstroke. Intensive Care Med 35, 1454–1458 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-009-1500-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-009-1500-x

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