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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Taipei man dies of heat stroke
A sign displaying the temperature shows 39 °C in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
DEADLY COMBINATION: The man suffered multiple organ failure, along with damage to his nervous system, the director of a heat stroke treatment center said
By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
The Tri-Service General Hospital yesterday reported that a young man in Taipei died of heat stroke, and the Taipei Department of Health urged the public to maintain good ventilation, avoid direct exposure to the sun and drink plenty of water to prevent heat-related illnesses.
The man, believed to be about 30 years old, was brought to Armed Forces Sung Shan Hospital with severe heat stroke on Wednesday, after he was found lying on the road near Mingchuan Bridge （民權大橋）.
His body temperature was as high as 42°C when he arrived at the hospital, where first-aid procedures were administered to reduce his temperature, the hospital said.
After initial treatment, he was sent to the Tri-Service General Hospital’s Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Heat Stroke for emergency treatment.
“The man was found to have with multiple organ failure,” center director Chu Pauling （朱柏齡） said. “In addition to unconsciousness caused by nervous system damage, he also suffered from kidney, liver and respiratory failures, as well as rhabdomyolysis [rapid destruction of skeletal muscle] and disseminated intravascular coagulation.”
Despite two days of emergency treatment, the patient died at around 10am yesterday, Chu said.
The man did not have an identity card on him, but footage from city surveillance cameras showed that he had been exposed to the sun for more than two hours, and police are trying to identify him, he said.
“People who work outdoors should remember to take a rest for 10 minutes every hour, and they should go under the shade to cool down and drink water,” Chu said, adding that participating in outdoor activities for more than 30 minutes in high temperatures can increase the risks of suffering heat stroke.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s statistics, as of yesterday, 526 cases of heat-related illnesses — ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke — have been reported at hospitals nationwide this month.
The Taipei Department of Health said that highs in the city have exceeded 37°C for five straight days — reaching 38.5°C on Wednesday and Thursday — so people should avoid outdoor activities between 10am and 2pm, as well as take precautionary measures against heat injury.
It suggested staying in ventilated indoor areas and blocking the sunlight with curtains; wearing a hat or using an umbrella to block direct sunlight, applying sunscreen and wearing breathable fabrics when outdoors; and drinking water frequently — not only when thirsty — while avoiding sugary or alcoholic beverages.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
