Emergency Medicine Book

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Heat Illness Risk Factors

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  1. See Also
    1. Heat Illness
    2. Medications Predisposing to Heat Illness
    3. Heat Illness Prevention
  2. Pathophysiology
    1. Predisposing conditions alter heat balance
  3. Increased endogenous heat load
    1. Vigorous Exercise or overexertion
    2. Sympathomimetic drugs (see below)
    3. Caffeine
  4. Increased Exogenous Heat load
    1. Sun Exposure
    2. Increased Heat Index
  5. Decreased Heat Dissipation
    1. Exogenous cause
      1. Humidity
      2. Occlusive or excessive clothing
    2. Endogenous cause
      1. Dehydration
      2. Lack of acclimatization
      3. Healed burns
      4. Sunburn
      5. Dermatitis
      6. Sweat Gland Dysfunction
      7. See Medications Predisposing to Heat Illness
  6. Other predisposing factors for abnormal heat balance
    1. Prior Heat Stroke
    2. Concurrent infection
      1. Upper Respiratory Infection
      2. Gastroenteritis
    3. Elderly
      1. Myocardial dysfunction
      2. Decreased muscle mass
      3. Decreased skin blood supply
      4. Renal insufficiency
      5. Chronic illness
    4. Comorbid medical condition
      1. Anorexia
      2. Cystic Fibrosis
      3. Diabetes Insipidus
      4. Poorly controlled Diabetes Mellitus
      5. Obesity
      6. Hypokalemia
  7. References
    1. Czerkawski (1996) Your Patient Fitness 10(4): 13-20
    2. Sandor (1997) Physician SportsMed, 25(6):35-40
    3. Barrow (1998) Am Fam Physician 58(3):749
    4. Hett (1998) Postgrad Med 103(6):107
    5. Wexler (2002) Am Fam Physician 65(11):2307

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