A heat stroke (HS) is a medical emergency that can occur when the body is unable to cool itself down after overexertion in a hot condition. It is characterized by a high body temperature (usually greater than 40.5 degrees Celsius or 104.9 degrees Fahrenheit) and altered mental status. HS can cause a wide range of physiological changes in the body, including damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and muscles. In the case report presented, the patient was a 40-year-old man who developed severe HS. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he developed multi-organ failure, involving the brain, liver, kidneys, muscles, and hematological system. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and intubated, despite aggressive treatment. After an 18-day stay in the ICU, the patient achieved full recovery except for myopathy, which necessitated physiotherapy.
Keywords: critical care; heat related; heat stroke; multi-organ failure; multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.
Copyright © 2023, Elbashir et al.