Heat Exhaustion – Treatment

Treatment for a person with a heat related disorder has two key elements:

• Cooling the person
• Replacing lost fluid and electrolytes

The photo below was taken on Wilderness First Aid Training in Oman. Temperatures in summer are very hot at 37/38 °C (99/100 °F) on average. Locations near the sea can feel very humid: when the wind blows from inland, this causes the humidity to drop and the temperature can raise to as high as 50 °C (122 °F). Treatment for a person over heating in this environment would be to:

• Remove the person from the heat source by placing them under the canopy
• Loosen or remove tight fitting clothing
• Give isotonic fluid replacement. If this is not available you could make yoru own solution based on a handful of sugar and a pinch of salt per litre of water
• Elevate legs if they are swelling

If the person does not appear to improve, active cooling should take place in the form of:

• Sponging or spraying with tepid water
• Fanning