Pediatric heat related illness

Heat-related illness commonly affects adolescent patients, especially as summer approaches and global temperature extremes worsen. Basic counseling on sunburn prevention can decrease the risk for future malignancies, and rapidly preventing, identifying, and treating heat stroke can prevent severe morbidity and mortality. This article will review the epidemiology of exertional heat-related illness and the variations in presentations and pathology, from heat rash and sunburn to heat exhaustion and heat stroke...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine athletic trainer compliance with emergency medicine and athletic training evidence-based guidelines for the on-the-field management of common pediatric sports-related injury and illness. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed electronically to selected members of the National Athletic Trainer Association. The questionnaire included 10 clinical scenarios describing common sports-related injury/illness (closed head injury, cervical spine injury, blunt chest injury, blunt abdominal injury, ankle injury, knee injury with laceration, heat-related illness)...

Climate change is already impacting children's health in a variety of ways. Indian children are among the most severely affected; they are experiencing respiratory illnesses from air pollution, heat-related illnesses, malnutrition, vector- and water-borne diseases; and mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder from weather disasters. There is a need to increase awareness and capacity building among paediatricians for understanding the impact of climate change on the health of children and educating parents about preventive measures...

PURPOSE: We examined fluid intake, the relation between body mass (BM) loss and performance, and core temperature in young triathletes during a competition in tropical climate. METHODS: Fluid intake and pre and post BM were measured in 35 adolescent athletes, and core temperature was measured in one female and one male. RESULTS: Mean urine specific gravity (1.024 [0.007]) indicated that athletes were in suboptimal state of hydration upon waking...

The climate crisis is a major public health threat for children, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations. Climate change causes a myriad of health issues for children, including respiratory illness, heat stress, infectious disease, the effects of weather-related disasters, and psychological sequelae. Pediatric clinicians must identify and address these issues in the clinical setting. Strong advocacy from pediatric clinicians is needed to help prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis and to support the elimination of use of fossil fuels and enactment of climate-friendly policies...

Climate change poses an existential threat to children's health. Divestment of ownership stakes in fossil fuel companies is one tool available to pediatricians to address climate change. Pediatricians are trusted messengers regarding children's health and therefore bear a unique responsibility to advocate for climate and health policies that affect children. Among the impacts of climate change on pediatric patients are allergic rhinitis and asthma; heat-related illnesses; premature birth; injuries from severe storms and fires; vector-borne diseases; and mental illnesses...

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was the first major medical society to release a policy statement on the impacts of climate change on pediatric health. It is estimated that globally, children bear the burden of climate-induced disease. However, many undergraduate and graduate medical curricula do not cover this topic. This article builds on previous literature to propose a framework for such a curriculum as well as justify its relevance in light of current accreditation requirements. Some curricular topics include extreme heat and heat-related injury, degradations in air quality and pediatric respiratory disease, spread of vector-borne and diarrheal illness, and mental health effects...

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) are commonly used to treat children admitted to the PICU who require more respiratory support than simple oxygen therapy. Much has been published on these two treatment modalities over the past decade, both in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM ) and elsewhere. The majority of these studies are observational analyses of clinical, administrative, or quality improvement datasets and, therefore, are only able to establish associations between exposure to treatment and outcomes, not causation...

Thermoregulation is an essential component to the stability and long-term outcomes of newborns and critically-ill neonates. A thermoneutral environment (TNE) is an environment in which a neonate maintains a normal body temperature while minimizing energy expenditure and oxygen consumption. Neonates who experience thermal stability within a TNE demonstrate enhanced growth, decreased respiratory support, decreased oxygen requirements, increased glucose stability, reduced mortality, and reduced morbidities associated with hyperthermia and hypothermia...

Global climate change is leading to higher ambient temperatures and more frequent heatwaves. To date, impacts of ambient extreme heat on childhood morbidity have been understudied, although-given children's physiologic susceptibility, with smaller body surface-to-mass ratios, and many years of increasing temperatures ahead-there is an urgent need for better information to inform public health policies and clinical approaches. In this review, we aim to (1) identify pediatric morbidity outcomes previously associated with extreme heat, (2) to identify predisposing co-morbidities which may make children more susceptible to heat-related outcomes, and (3) to map the current body of available literature...

Pediatricians play an important role in the prevention of injuries and provide families with anticipatory guidance regularly. As more families are traveling and spending time outdoors, we must be adept at providing them with knowledge and resources to set them up for success on their adventures. Prevention and preparation frequently can help limit injuries sustained in the wilderness. This article will focus specifically on injuries related to the environment (eg, cold weather injuries, heat-related illnesses) and travel location (eg, high-altitude illness, marine-related injuries, diving medicine)...

Athletes with sickle cell trait (SCT) have up to a 37-fold increased risk of exercise-related death. Exertional collapse associated with sickle cell trait (ECAST) is uncommon but can lead to exercise-related death due to exertional sickling. We present a case series of fatal ECAST in high school athletes aged 14 to 16 years. All 3 athletes experienced collapse during practice sessions with muscle pain or weakness. Upon evaluation at the hospital, the athletes had a significant metabolic acidosis that did not respond as expected to fluid resuscitation...

BACKGROUND: Emerging literature has documented heat-related impacts on child health, yet few studies have evaluated the effects of heat among children of different age groups and comparing emergency department (ED) and hospitalisation risks. OBJECTIVES: To examine the differing associations between high ambient temperatures and risk of ED visits and hospitalisations among children by age group in New York City (NYC). METHODS: We used New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data on children aged 0-18 years admitted to NYC EDs (n = 2,252,550) and hospitals (n = 228,006) during the warm months (May-September) between 2005 and 2011...

OBJECTIVE: To review what is known about sports medicine and pediatric obesity, with a focus on injuries and MSK concerns. DATA SOURCES: Systematically searched MEDLINE (PubMed) for all years, using search combinations to best identify potential publications. Manuscripts were reviewed, summarized, and discussed in detail. Experienced clinicians in sports medicine and pediatric obesity reviewed the final searches for substantive content. Inclusion criteria include English language publications, children ≤18 years old, related to the practice of sports medicine and pediatric obesity...

Anthropogenic global climate change is a well-documented phenomenon that has led to average global temperatures climbing to approximately 1 °C above preindustrial (1850-1900) levels, with even higher regional deviations in some areas and significantly increased average warming in densely populated urban centers. In 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set a threshold of 1.5 °C of average warming (above the preindustrial baseline), beyond which our planet will become significantly less hospitable to human life...

Predicted global climate change, including rising average temperatures, increasing airborne pollution, and ultraviolet radiation exposure, presents multiple environmental stressors contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. Extreme temperatures and more frequent and severe heat events will increase the risk of heat-related illness and associated complications in vulnerable populations, including infants and children. Historically, children have been viewed to possess inferior thermoregulatory capabilities, owing to lower sweat rates and higher core temperature responses compared to adults...

The perception that children and adolescents have of injury and illness may be influenced by their depiction in sport-related films. The objective of this study was to determine the depiction of injury and illness in a select number of running-related films. A sample of 31 running-related films were analyzed, with a total of 77 injuries/illnesses depicted. The most common injuries/illnesses depicted were categorized as exertional heat exhaustion/stroke (26%), lower leg muscle cramps/not heat related (12%), ankle sprain (9%), knee ligamentous/meniscus injury (6%), exercise-associated collapse/not heat related (6%), and blister of the toe/foot (6%)...

Infants, children, and adolescents are at increased risk for heat-related illness due to their inability to remove themselves from dangerous environments. Evidence shows that morbidity and mortality from heat illness is related to the length of time core temperature is elevated, so rapid reduction and accurate serial measurements are crucial to prevention of organ system damage and death. The primary methods of patient cooling are conduction (ice-water immersion, cold packs) and convection (moisture and moving air)...

Infants, children, and adolescents are at increased risk for heat-related illness due to their inability to remove themselves from dangerous environments. Evidence shows that morbidity and mortality from heat illness is related to the length of time core temperature is elevated, so rapid reduction and accurate serial measurements are crucial to prevention of organ system damage and death. The primary methods of patient cooling are conduction (ice-water immersion, cold packs) and convection (moisture and moving air)...

Approximately 7.6 million high school students in the United States participate in sports. Although most sport-related injuries in adolescents are considered minor emergencies, life-threatening illnesses or injuries may occur, such as sudden cardiac arrest, heat stroke, status asthmaticus and exercise-induced asthma, catastrophic brain injuries, cervical spine injuries, heat- and cold-related illness, blunt chest/abdominal injuries, and extremity fractures resulting in compartment syndrome. Emergency preparedness in athletics involves the identification of and planning for medical services to promote the safety of the athlete, to limit injury, and to provide medical care at the site of practice or competition...