Heat stroke versus hypothermia
NCLEX-RN glossary · Physiological Adaptation
Definition
The clinical discrimination between severe hyperthermic thermoregulatory failure and life-threatening core cooling.
Heat stroke versus hypothermia in plain English
Heat stroke is a medical emergency characterized by neurologic failure and the absence of sweating; hypothermia leads to metabolic slowing and cardiac irritability. The tempting mistake is using the presence of sweating to rule out heat stroke, whereas true heat stroke typically presents with hot, dry, non-sweating skin.
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