TY - JOUR PY - 2006// TI - Heat stroke and multi-organ failure with liver involvement in an asylum-seeking refugee JO - Journal of emergency medicine A1 - Deutsch, M. A1 - Koskinas, John A1 - Emmanuel, Theodoros A1 - Kountouras, Dimitris A1 - Hadziyannis, Stephanos SP - 255 EP - 257 VL - 31 IS - 3 N2 - Heat stroke is the result of exposure to high environmental temperature and strenuous exercise representing a medical emergency characterized by an elevated core body temperature and central nervous system disorders. Slightly elevated liver enzymes, lacking clinical significance, seem to be frequent in heat stroke, whereas severe, clinically relevant, hepatocellular injury has been observed in only a minority of cases. In the present report we describe the case of an otherwise healthy young asylum-seeking refugee from East Timor, who developed severe heat stroke during his transportation to Greece in a closed container on a ship under unusually high temperatures. He was admitted to the hospital with severe multi-organ failure. After a short period of initial improvement, he developed severe hepatocellular injury and hepatic encephalopathy. Other causes of liver damage were excluded. The patient completely recovered.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0736-4679 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2005.12.022 ID - ref1 ER -