If the ambulance dispatcher chooses to stay on the line with you and walk you through the steps you should be taking to treat the heatstroke patient, follow those steps instead of the ones in this article.
If you do not have air conditioning, fan air over the patient. A notepad will work well. You might lay the patient in the back seat of a car with the air conditioner on high.
You can also apply water to the patient using a sopping wet sponge or cloth.
You can also use a bag of frozen vegetables if you don’t have an ice pack handy.
Make sure that the person does not drink too quickly. Tell them to drink it slowly. Do not pour liquids into a patient’s mouth if they don’t seem alert enough to swallow. You might cause them to choke, adding another layer of danger to an already critical situation. If you have neither sports drinks nor salted water, regular cool water will be fine. Don’t offer the patient energy drinks or soft drinks. Caffeine disrupts the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, so these drinks will only make the situation worse.
Normal body temperature is 98. 6°F (37°C), but can range from 1 to 2°F or ½ to 1°C. [13] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source
Talk to the patient to determine if they have a headache, slurred speech, confusion and or agitation. Place your hands on the patient’s chest to determine if they have heavy breathing, rapid heart rate, and/or flush, warm or moist skin.
Try drinking a quart of water per hour.
Everyone reacts to heat differently, but physical exertion should be avoided at temperatures over 90°F (32°C).
You should also apply sunscreen to any exposed skin to help protect yourself from sunburn.
