Septuagenarian suffers heat stroke in Ambur, doctors call for increased precautionary measures

Elderly at high risk for heat stroke, need to take precautions, consult doctors for medication adjustments.

Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) saw another patient with heat stroke - a 70-year-old woman from Ambur.

The septuagenarian collapsed at home on returning after a prolonged wait at a ration shop under the blistering sun. As rising heat levels could be harsher in extremes of age, doctors emphasised the need for the elderly to take precautionary measures.

E. Theranirajan, dean of RGGGH, said the elderly woman was admitted to RGGGH and was diagnosed with heat stroke after excluding all other causes. She was on ventilatory support. “One of the clinching diagnoses for heat stroke is metabolic acidosis and elevated creatine phosphokinase-MB level, an enzyme found in the muscles,” he said.

He said that elderly persons with cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary artery disease, and those on medications for hypertension, diabetes are at a high risk for heat-related illness.

D. Thangam, senior assistant professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, National Centre of Ageing, explained: “Elderly patients with multiple health conditions and taking multiple drugs for conditions such as those involving the nervous system or psychiatric illnesses should be careful, as the compensatory mechanism of the body for extreme heat is not active as in healthy individuals not taking any medications.”

It is important for such elderly patients to consult their doctors and get their pills and dosages checked. “We see many patients who continue to take drugs longer than the prescribed period and forget to turn up for periodic reviews. Several patients on anti-depressants equate psychiatric drugs as sleep medications and do not go for doctors review. These drugs can put them at risk for heat illnesses,” Dr. Thangam said.

Elderly should not take any drugs without the doctor’s advice. Similarly, even common cold medicines like antihistamines can make them prone to heat illness as they can suppress the sweating mechanism. Unnecessary drugs should be avoided, the geriatrician added.