The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced that it is distributing "Emergency Room Heatstroke Treatment Guidelines" to approximately 530 medical institutions operating emergency rooms.
These guidelines represent the first standard treatment protocol for heatstroke.
The guidelines consist of sections including initial assessment for heatstroke diagnosis, clinical manifestations and common pitfalls to avoid, and initial response for patient resuscitation.
In particular, the core instruction emphasized for treating heatstroke is "prioritize patient cooling, and perform transfers and examinations later."
Heat-related illnesses are acute conditions caused by heat, ranging from relatively mild heat edema to severe heatstroke.
When a patient suffers from heatstroke, their body temperature exceeds 40°C (104°F), and they experience central nervous system dysfunction.
According to the KDCA, the number of patients reported through the emergency room heat-related illness surveillance system increased from 443 in 2011 to 4,460 last year.
During the same period, the number of deaths presumed to be caused by heat-related illnesses reached 267.
(Photo: Yonhap News)