With daytime temperatures soaring upwards of 40 degrees Centigrade in recent days, healthcare providers in the city are expecting to deal with cases of heat exhaustion.
A special 10-bed ward has been established at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi to treat patients suffering from heatstroke. “So far, we have not received any heatstroke patients though we have noticed some cases of fatigue due to the summer weather,” E. Arun Raj, medical superintendent, MGMGH, told The Hindu.
A senior Corporation Health Office source said the city was being monitored for incidence of heatstroke, but no cases had been reported till date.
Meanwhile stalls to supply drinking water and buttermilk free of charge to the public have been set up in different parts of Tiruchi.
Some private hospitals have reported cases of heat exhaustion. “We have had people admitted with low sodium and potassium levels due to heat exposure, who need intravenous drips. Added to this, are patients who are coming in with fever or diarrhoea, who are suffering a more serious form of dehydration,” R. Varun Prasanna, a specialist in internal medicine, diabetology and critical care, told The Hindu.
Skin conditions like heat rash and sunburn are also commonly reported due to heat exposure and can be treated with topical moisturisers, said Dr. Prasanna.
Young children and senior citizens are at added risk of dehydration during summer, as they may neglect to drink water unless they feel thirsty.
“The main and simplest treatment is to drink a minimum of three litres of water and fluids per day to keep the body hydrated,” said S. Srinivas, consultant physician. Patients with co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, renal and cardiac problems are more susceptible to falling ill during a heatwave, he added.
The heat could also be of some relief to cardiac patients, said Senthilkumar Nallusamy, interventional cardiologist. “When the heart’s pumping capacity is low during winter, it can cause breathlessness, called pulmonary edema. The incidence of this condition is less during the summer season,” he said.
