Which action is NOT the most appropriate initial response for exertional heat stroke?

Which action is NOT the most appropriate initial response for exertional heat stroke?

• A. Immerse the patient in ice water
• B. Douse the patient with cool water
• C. Activate emergency medical transport
• D. Apply ice bags to the patient's major arteries

Answer: (A)

In exertional heat stroke the top priority is rapid cooling of the body while getting medical help started. Even though cold-water immersion is highly effective for cooling, it isn’t always the first thing you can do in the field. Setting up an ice-water bath requires time, equipment, and careful supervision, which isn’t always immediately available. The quickest, readily implementable step is to activate emergency medical transport and start cooling with whatever you can right away—such as dousing with cool water and removing excess clothing—while help is on the way. Ice packs to major arteries are not as effective as full-body cooling and are not the best initial action. So, although immersion is a powerful cooling method, it isn’t the most practical initial response in many real-world situations.

In exertional heat stroke the top priority is rapid cooling of the body while getting medical help started. Even though cold-water immersion is highly effective for cooling, it isn’t always the first thing you can do in the field. Setting up an ice-water bath requires time, equipment, and careful supervision, which isn’t always immediately available. The quickest, readily implementable step is to activate emergency medical transport and start cooling with whatever you can right away—such as dousing with cool water and removing excess clothing—while help is on the way. Ice packs to major arteries are not as effective as full-body cooling and are not the best initial action. So, although immersion is a powerful cooling method, it isn’t the most practical initial response in many real-world situations.