EXERTIONAL HEAT-STROKE IN A YOUNG WOMAN - GENDER DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO THERMAL-STRESS

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is an acute life-threatening emergency th at necessitates the immediate institution of cooling measures. Re port ed here is a case of EHS in a nonacclimatized young woman who was unde rgoing strenuous exercise. The patient developed many of the character istic features of EHS, including central nervous system disturbances, lactic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, coagulopathy, and abnormal myocardial conduction. While EHS is relatively common in young men, the conditio n is rare in women. This case presentation addresses gender difference s in the response to the thermal stress of intense physical activity.