Expert consensus on standardized diagnosis and treatment for heat stroke

Heat stroke is a life-threatening disease characterized clinically by central nervous system dysfunction and severe hyperthermia (core temperature rises to higher than 40 °C). The unchecked rise of body core temperature overwhelms intrinsic or extrinsic heat generation mechanism, thus overwhelms homoeostatic thermoregulation. Hyperthermia causes cellular and organ dysfunction with progressive exacerbation resulting in multi-organ failure and death. Rapid cooling to reduce core temperatureas quickly as possible is the primary and most effective treatment, as it has been shown that the major determinant of outcome in heatstroke is the degree and duration of hyperthermia. If suppression of body temperature is delayed, the fatality rate will be elevated. This is a guideline for the management of heat stroke, developed by the People's Liberation Army Professional Committee of Critical Care Medicine lauched in June 2006. This is the first and origianl guideline for heat stroke in Chinese army and is expected to be properly used in daily clinial practice.