Korey, a college sophomore on the University of Connecticut football team is pre

Question

Korey, a college sophomore on the University of Connecticut football team is preparing for summer football camp. He shows up for camp on day 1 (a hot and humid day, over 90 degrees Fahrenheit) in full football gear (helmat, pads, and other protective equipment). His coach schedules 4 hours of practice on the first day and provides little time in between exercises for fueling or cool down breaks. About 2 hours into practice, Korey feels that he is breathing very rapidly, his skin is flushed, he has a massive headache, and is easily confused by football plays that his coach is trying to teach. Eventually, Korey passes out on the field and a medic reported that his body temperature registered at 105 degrees F.

Please use this information to answer the following questions.

1. What type of heat illness is Korey sufferring from?

2. What steps should be taken to treat Korey's heat illness?

3. What 3 things could have been done to prevent Korey's heat illness?

Explanation / Answer

1. Athletes who play and practice in hot environments are often at the risk of heat stress. Heat stress can result into a wide spectrum of disorders like heat rashes and heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In this case, Korey suffered from a heat stroke. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) mentions heat stroke as the most serious heat-related disease. Heat stroke occurs when the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down itself. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise upto 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if not treated.

The symptoms of heat stroke which Korey had was included in this overall list-

Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
Hallucinations
Throbbing headache
High body temperature
Confusion/dizziness
Slurred speech

2. The following emergency treatment should be given-

Move Korey to a cool shaded area.
Cool Korey using methods such as:

Soaking Korey’s clothes with water.
Spraying, sponging, or showering Korey with water.
Fanning Korey’s body

3. The following could have been done for prevention-

Schedule practices for the cooler part of the day.
Pace activity i.e. start activities slow and pick up the pace gradually.
Acclimatize Korey by exposing him for progressively longer periods to hot environments.
Rotate Korey in and out of play.
Drink cool water or liquids
Avoid alcohol, and drinks with large amounts of caffeine or sugar.
Provide rest periods with water breaks.
Provide cool areas for use during break periods.
Monitor Korey for risk of heat stress.
Provide heat stress training that includes information about: Risk, Prevention, Symptoms, Treatment, Personal protective equipment

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