This is a great elementary school bulletin from another district, but there's a slight problem w/ one of the first remedy steps that is hard to do at our elementary schools: ...getting the child to a COOL comfortable place.
www.alamosabobcats.com/cgi/annview2.cgi?2Alamosa Elementary School
Subject: Children & Dehydration
Author: Noel Hancock
Posted Date: 8/22/2007
Due to our exceedingly high temperatures outside this month, please be alert to the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to prevent it. (This information is taken from WebMD.)
Symptoms of Dehydration and Heat Illness
Children are more prone to heat illness than adults because they have more body surface area per pound of weight. Young athletes, practicing hard in summer heat, are at particular risk. Learn to recognize the early warning signs of heat stress. Your knowledge could save a child's life.
Symptoms of Dehydration
· Thirst
· Fatigue
· Irritability
· Dry mouth
· Feeling hot
When children complain of thirst, feeling hot, or just seem irritable in the heat, they may have early dehydration. Get the child out of the sun into a cool, comfortable place. Have the child start drinking plenty of cool fluids such as water or sports drinks. (Sugary fruit juices or sodas with more than 8% carbohydrates are not absorbed as rapidly by the body.) The child should also take off any excess layers of clothing or bulky sports equipment. You can put cool, wet cloths on overheated skin.
If these symptoms are ignored, more serious heat illness such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke can occur.
Symptoms of Heat Illness Associated With Dehydration
· Heat cramps: Painful cramps of the abdominal muscles, arms, or legs.
· Heat syncope: Weakness, fatigue, or fainting after exercising in heat.
· Heat exhaustion: Profuse sweating, fatigue, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, chills, weakness, excessive thirst, muscle aches and cramps, vision problems, flushing, agitation or irritability, and sometimes unconsciousness.
· Heat stroke: High body temperature (often it's 104°F-105°F or higher) and rising, nausea and vomiting; seizures; disorientation or delirium; hot, dry skin; unconsciousness; coma; shortness of breath; decreased urination; or blood in urine or stool.
Note that there are other illnesses that can occur when exposed to the heat, such as prickly heat (heat rash) or heat edema (swelling of the arms and legs), but those are not associated with dehydration.
How to Treat Heat Illness Associated With Dehydration
There is a lot you can do for a person experiencing symptoms of a heat illness related to dehydration. First, call for help. Next, take the child to a cool, shady place and encourage him or her to drink plenty of liquids. If the child is experiencing a milder heat illness, rest and rehydration with water or a sports drink may be all that's needed. More severe heat illnesses require immediate medical attention.
Heat cramps. This is one of the mildest forms of heat illness. When a young athlete experiences heat cramps, pull him or her off the field into a cool area and gently stretch the affected muscle. "Have them drink, drink, drink, and then drink more," says Albert C. Hergenroeder, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of the sports medicine clinic at Texas Children's Hospital .
"High-sodium drinks will prevent children from getting heat cramps," says Jackie Berning, PhD, with the National Alliance for Youth Sports. "Gatorade has just enough sodium to prevent those cramps. But if you're a heavy sweater, and you're still getting cramps after drinking Gatorade, eat some salted pretzels or salted nuts. Those work fine." If the cramp goes away, the child can go back out to the game or practice but should be carefully monitored.
Heat syncope . Heat syncope is an episode of fainting or dizziness that occurs with prolonged standing or after suddenly rising from a standing or sitting position. In severe instances, the child may lose consciousness. People who exercise without a cool-down period, are dehydrated and aren't acclimatized to the hot conditions are more likely to experience this problem. Treatment consists of lying the person down and giving fluids if possible. If the person is unconscious or not able to drink, seek medical attention immediately.
Heat exhaustion . Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, weakness, profuse sweating, excessive thirst, muscle aches and cramps, agitation or irritability, and sometimes unconsciousness. "This is a child who looks really wiped out and has symptoms of a clear problem to the casual observer, but her temperature is still less than 104," says Hergenroeder. Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention but is not usually life-threatening. However, in some cases, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke which requires emergency medical treatment.
Just as with heat cramps, a child with heat exhaustion should be brought to a cool place and given plenty of fluids. The child should not be allowed to play or practice again that day.
If the child is becoming unconscious or confused, has a seizure, difficulty breathing, vomiting or diarrhea, seek medical attention immediately.
Heat stroke . Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Heat stroke is characterized by a high body temperature (often it's 104°F-105°F or higher) and marked symptoms, including nausea and vomiting; seizures; disorientation or delirium; hot, dry skin (although in some cases a person with heat stroke has profuse sweating); unconsciousness; coma; shortness of breath; decreased urination; or blood in urine or stool. It can occur suddenly, without any symptoms of heat exhaustion. "A child with heat stroke is going to the emergency room immediately, packed in ice, with IV fluids," says Hergenroeder.
For a child with heat stroke, cool the body while awaiting the ambulance by removing clothing and placing ice bags on the neck, in the armpits, and the groin areas. Fan the person and spray with cool water. If she is awake and able to swallow, give fluids.
7 Ways to Prevent Dehydration in Children
Children love to play outside, especially when the weather's warm. However, active children do not adjust to hot temperatures (greater than 95°F) as well as adults. Their body surface, as a proportion of their overall weight, is much greater than an adult's. So they produce more heat during physical activity and they sweat less than adults. This reduces their ability to get rid of body heat.
In addition, children often don't drink enough to replenish the fluids they lose during prolonged activity. This can lead to severe dehydration and potentially life-threatening heat illnesses.
Here is some information to help children stay safely hydrated while playing outdoors in the heat:
- Lack of physical fitness can impair the performance of any child who plays in the heat. Dehydration of more than 3% of body weight increases a child's risk of a heat-related illness.
- Sweating helps release heat from the body.
- "The key is water and electrolytes," says Albert C. Hergenroeder, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of the sports medicine clinic at Texas Children's Hospital. Children and teens that exercise hard or play sports should drink often, even if they aren't thirsty. The AAP recommends five ounces of cold tap water or sports drink for a child weighing 88 pounds, and nine ounces for a teen weighing 132 pounds. One ounce is about two kid-size gulps. After recess, children should be allowed to go the drinking fountain before returning to class or have water available in class.
- Know the heat index: It's the combination of high air temperatures and humidity that's most dangerous. Exercising in a relative humidity of 35% and an air temperature of 95°F may cause heat illness. Even dry climates can have high humidity if the sprinkler systems run before early morning practices.
- Lightweight, light-colored clothing is best. Ventilated shorts and t-shirts let heat dissipate.
- Watch your students before, during, and after recess and PE for any signs of trouble. Pay special attention to students who eagerly compete at or above their capabilities.
If a child looks sick, take him or her off the field or playground. Monitor the child closely while the child rests and drinks fluid. "Kids with moderate heat injuries -- not heat stroke, but heat exhaustion -- may look fine 15 minutes later if you give them something to drink and allow them to cool down," says Hergenroeder. "But they're still dehydrated. They should not exercise outside the rest of the day and you should keep an eye on them when they come back tomorrow."
- Nurses and Health assistants are trained in first aid. Make sure each staff member knows how to recognize signs and symptoms of heat illness and knows that students with heat illness symptoms must be rehydrated and monitored.
This information was taken from WebMD.
Cindy Greenberg RN, BSN, MSN, NCSN
Manager, APS Nursing Services
6400 Uptown Blvd. NE, Suite #385W
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 855-9834
(505) 855-9861 FAX
greenberg_c@aps.edu
