A new death brings the number of deaths from heat stroke to six, the highest figure since they were counted

The Don Benito-Villanueva Health Area has reported a new death from heat stroke in the last week, which brings the number of deaths recorded from this pathology in Extremadura to six since the beginning of the summer, according to a report prepared this Thursday by the Subdirectorate of Epidemiology of the General Directorate of Public Health of the Extremeño Health Service (SES).

The deceased is a male in the age group between 40 and 49 years old, who on the afternoon of August 12 suffered symptoms attributable to heat stroke. He was treated in the Primary Care Emergency Department and later admitted to the Don Benito-Villanueva Hospital, in whose Intensive Care Unit (ICU) he died the following day.

With this sixth death during the current summer, the highest number of deaths caused by heat stroke is reached in Extremadura since Epidemiology began to count the number of people affected by this pathology, in 2012. Until now, the summers with the highest number of victims had been those of 2018, with five deaths, and 2015, with three.

This new case now places the number of people affected by heat stroke at 18 who have been treated in health centers in Extremadura since the beginning of the summer.

18 affected

Of the 18 affected, eleven have required hospital admission -six of them in intensive care units (ICU)–, while the remaining seven have been treated in hospital emergency services.

The six deceased were aged between 30 and 85 years. Of the remaining five patients who have required hospitalization, four have been discharged and one remains hospitalized.

Among the 18 patients treated for heat stroke, ten men and eight women, there are people of practically all age groups. Two cases have been registered in the group of ten to 19 years old, one in the group of 20 to 29, two in the group of 30 to 39 years, two in the group of 40 to 49, four in the group of 50 to 59, two in the from 60 to 69, four in the group from 70 to 79 and one in the group over 80 years of age.

At least seven of them suffered heat stroke while working outside in the sun, one when working in a covered warehouse, four after prolonged exposure to heat for non-work reasons, two when they were at home and the other four cases not recorded.

Six of the registered cases have occurred in the Don Benito-Villanueva Health Area, six in Badajoz, two in Plasencia, two in Llerena-Zafra, one in Mérida and one in Navalmoral. of the Mata.

recommendations

To avoid suffering a “heat syncope”, the General Directorate of Public Health of the SES recalls the importance of following basic guidelines of behavior such as avoiding exposure to the sun and activities that involve physical effort during the central hours of the day, at least between 12:00 and 18:00, and hydrate by drinking at least one glass of water every two hours even if you are not thirsty, something especially important in the case of the elderly and young children.

It also advises eating light meals, avoiding alcoholic or exciting drinks and ventilating the houses by opening the windows at night and closing them during the day.

In case of suffering symptoms such as dizziness, cramps, exhaustion, headache or confusion, the Extremadura Health Service recommends stopping the activity you are doing, drinking water, resting in the shade or in a cool place, and if possible refreshing yourself with a bath or a shower.

If the symptoms worsen with fever, severe headache, nausea, rapid but weak pulse or loss of consciousness, it is necessary to seek immediate medical assistance, either by calling 112 or by going to the nearest health center.