Pediatr. praxi. 2023;24(3):155-157 | DOI: 10.36290/ped.2023.047

Heatstroke and heat exhaustion in childhood

MUDr. Sandra Gruberová¹, MUDr. Beáta Krejčířová¹, doc. MUDr. Petr Jabandžiev, Ph.D.^{1, 2}

¹ Pediatrická klinika Fakultní nemocnice Brno a Lékařské fakulty Masarykovy univerzity v Brně

² Středoevropský technologický institut, Masarykova univerzita, Brno

Body overheating in children can rapidly lead to a life threatening situation. Children are more susceptible to external temperature changes as their thermoregulation mechanisms are not yet perfectly developed. In extreme cases overheating can lead to a child's death. A lot of these cases are caused by leaving or forgetting a child in a locked car during hot summer days. The temperature inside the car can rise over 70 degrees centigrade and in under an hour the child can go into a severe shock. It is also necessary to make appropriate precautions such as sufficient hydration or sun protection during summer sport activities. In this article we aim to raise an awareness about this issue and improve the education of both medical and non-medical caregivers.

Keywords: overheating, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration.

Accepted: June 8, 2023; Published: June 15, 2023  Show citation