Heatstroke Emergency: What to Do When Someone Passes Out in the Heat
What is the most appropriate action to take for a 42-year-old male road worker who has been shoveling gravel all day in the hot sun and passes out with severe altered mental status?
a) Administer high-flow oxygen and initiate positive pressure ventilation
b) Apply ice packs to the patient's forehead and neck
c) Remove the patient's clothing and cool the body with tepid water
d) Administer warm intravenous fluids
Answer:
The most appropriate action for a 42-year-old male road worker who has been shoveling gravel all day in the hot sun and passes out with severe altered mental status is to remove the patient's clothing and cool the body with tepid water to lower the body temperature (Option C).
Based on the given scenario, the most appropriate action is to remove the patient's clothing and cool the body with tepid water. The patient's altered mental status, hot and moist skin suggest that he is experiencing heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Cooling the body with tepid water will help to lower the body temperature and prevent further complications.
Intravenous fluids may be administered if the patient is dehydrated, but the priority in this case is to cool the body. Oxygen and positive pressure ventilation are not indicated for heat-related illnesses. Applying ice packs to the patient's forehead and neck may provide temporary relief, but it is not as effective as whole-body cooling with tepid water.
Thus, the correct option is C. It is important to act quickly in cases of heat-related emergencies to prevent serious complications such as heatstroke.