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CAMP FOSTER , Japan — Hyperthermia, also known as heat stroke, is a condition in which the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate and can effect adults, children and even pets.
In the U.S., heat stroke is the number one weather-related cause of death, taking more lives than floods, lighting, tornadoes and hurricanes combined, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service.
As such, it is very important to remember children and pets should not be left unattended in vehicles, especially on Okinawa where summer temperatures average well above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
“When the outside temperature is only 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a car can magnify that heat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit within one hour,” said Seaman Ian R. Williams, a hospital corpsman with Combat Logistics Regiment 37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “This increases the risk for heat injuries, which can cause internal and external injuries and even death.”
Even if a window is left slightly open, the vehicle will essentially become an oven as its temperature continues to rise over time.
“Younger children don’t sweat the same amount adults do, and they have a more difficult time controlling their body’s temperature,” said Lance Cpl. Travis J. Scott, an emergency medical technician and aircraft rescue firefighter with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Children’s thermoregulatory systems, or internal thermometers, are not as efficient and warm at a rate three to five times faster than those of an adult, according to a study published in “Pediatrics: The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
“Heat stroke begins once a person’s temperature is greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Scott. “This heat injury is sometimes deadly.”
A victim of heat stroke will have very red, dry skin and become delirious and confused as their core temperature rises, according to Scott. At this point, a person no longer has the ability to produce sweat.
In addition to the dangers presented by heat stroke and other heat injuries, leaving children and pets unsupervised in vehicles violates Marine Corps Bases Japan Order 5800.1C, which provides clear guidance on youth supervision.
“These rules are established to make sure parents don’t put their children in dangerous situations,” said Forrest Williams, a safety and occupational health specialist with the Marine Corps Base Installations Safety Office. “Children are often left inside running vehicles, which they can turn off and lock themselves inside.”
Some animals, such as dogs, do not regulate their bodies’ temperatures as well as humans, according to Lance Cpl. Tyler M. Scott, a military working dog handler with Headquarters and Service Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler. Individuals should also make sure they do not leave pets unattended in vehicles during summer months, as they are just as susceptible to heat injuries as children.
It is everyone’s duty to take the proper precautions to prevent heat injuries to children and pets.
For more information on child supervision regulations, refer to MCBJO 5800.1C.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2012 03:44 |
| Story ID: | 89270 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, AICHI, JP |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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