First aid, preventive measures when children have heat stroke in cars

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Posted by Specialist Doctor I Dang Thi Ngoc Chuong - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

1. Causes of thermal shock in children in cars

Heat stroke is a condition in which the body temperature rises suddenly, excessively (usually above 40 degrees Celsius) due to exposure to too high a temperature when the body has not yet adapted. From there, the body sweats a lot, losing water and electrolytes, causing damage to the central nervous system's temperature control system.
Normally, heat stroke usually occurs when:
Children play, work in the hot sun for too long or practice sports in a high temperature, unventilated room. However, in some cases, due to being left in the car for too long, children are also susceptible to heat stroke. When the car is closed, the air conditioner is not turned on, the temperature inside the car is almost twice the outdoor temperature. In the first hour, people inside will be at risk of suffocation due to lack of oxygen, heat shock, dehydration and fluid loss.
The time leading to health complications and consequences depends on the condition of each person, the number of people in the car, the difference in outdoor temperature. The more people in the car, the faster the oxygen will run out.

When the body lacks oxygen, the brain is damaged, which can lead to spastic reflexes, or coma, the risk of death is faster, after 2-3 hours or more.
When the car is closed, start the engine and turn on the air conditioner, the temperature is quite comfortable. But the body is at risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a colorless, odorless, very toxic gas, when entering the body, the initial symptom is fatigue. When the car is air-conditioned, the oxygen level (O2) decreases, the CO gas generated while the car is operating increases reduces the amount of O2 entering the blood, causing the body to go into shock or possibly suddenly die. This is the main cause of children suffocation in cars.

2. First aid when a child has a heat stroke in a car

When the child has heat stroke, the child will have symptoms such as:
High body temperature; nausea and vomiting; hot, dry, red skin. Increased heart rate, difficulty breathing. Unusual behavior and possible hallucinations such as slurred speech, irritability, uncontrollable behavior, seizures, or coma. Headache, the head may throb. Older children may experience cramps...

To give first aid to a child with heat stroke in a car, parents need to pay attention:
First, you need to take the child out of the car into a cool, ventilated, shaded area to lower body temperature. Take off your outer clothes, sprinkle warm water on the young person. If the child has cooled down, cool water can be used. If the child is awake, give them water as soon as possible. Continuously monitor the child's temperature and cool the child's body until the temperature returns to a stable level. If the child is not awake, CPR should be performed immediately. Along with the above, parents also need to call an ambulance soon to get support to bring the child to the hospital for examination and treatment.

3. Measures to prevent children from heat stroke in cars

In order to keep children safe when sitting in cars as well as to prevent children from thermal shock in cars, it is necessary to pay attention to the following:
When parking, it is necessary to choose a cool place, avoid direct sunlight. vehicle temperature rise.

In the process of driving or sitting in the car, should often keep an eye on and talk to the child, early detect abnormal signs (if any) to react promptly. Add water to children regularly to avoid dehydration. Never leave children alone in the car. When there is an unwillingness to go out, it is necessary to have an adult sit and look after the child, open the glass door if the outside temperature is cool, or turn on the air conditioner in the outside wind mode to regularly supplement oxygen. If unfortunately detecting the child has abnormal signs such as sudden temperature rise, difficulty breathing, coma, it is necessary to quickly bring the child to the hospital as soon as possible, to avoid possible unfortunate consequences. Heat stroke in children in cars occurs when adults are distracted, which is dangerous to children's lives, so parents need to be careful when children are in cars. Always keep children safe when in a car.
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