Two simultaneous cases of exertional heat
stroke during a trail run in Guadeloupe
(French West Indies): exceptional
presentations or emerging trend?
Dublin Core
Title
Two simultaneous cases of exertional heat
stroke during a trail run in Guadeloupe
(French West Indies): exceptional
presentations or emerging trend?
stroke during a trail run in Guadeloupe
(French West Indies): exceptional
presentations or emerging trend?
Subject
Heat stroke, Exercise, Tropical climate, Emergency, Multivisceral
Description
Abstract
Background Exertional heat stroke is a potentially fatal condition that can affect individuals performing intensive
physical activity, particularly in hot environments. We report two simultaneous cases of EHS that occurred during
the same outdoor sporting event in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) in April, in two unrelated young athletes with
similar profiles but different clinical pictures. At the time of the event, the apparent temperature was 29.6 °C with a
relative humidity of 85%.
Cases presentation Patient 1: A 22-year-old man with no known medical history collapsed during an endurance test
after running for one hour and 40 minutes. Pre-hospital medical care was immediately initiated and the onsite clinical
assessment revealed deep coma and major hyperthermia (41.7°C). The patient was rehydrated, cooled using ice
packs, and intubated onsite before being medically transferred to an intensive care unit. On admission, he presented
with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome affecting neurological, hemodynamic, renal, and hepatic functions. Intensive
care management included external cooling, vasopressor support with noradrenaline, extrarenal purification,
antibiotic therapy and continuous administration of N-acetylcysteine. After more than 16 days in intensive care, the
patient was discharged home without sequelae.
Patient 2: A 19-year-old man with no known medical history collapsed in the same morning, at almost the same
time, during that endurance test after running for one hour and 35 minutes. Unlike the first case, no pre-hospital
medical care was provided. The patient was evacuated to an emergency department. On admission, clinical
examination revealed confusion and hyperthermia (39.2°C). Blood tests revealed rhabdomyolysis associated with
acute renal failure yet was treated with intravenous fluid therapy. He eventually recovered and was discharged on
the same day.
Conclusions The tropical climate is an extrinsic risk factor for exertional heat stroke, which can lead to diverse clinical
presentations of varying severity when combined with other factors such as intrinsic factors. This risk is likely to
Background Exertional heat stroke is a potentially fatal condition that can affect individuals performing intensive
physical activity, particularly in hot environments. We report two simultaneous cases of EHS that occurred during
the same outdoor sporting event in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) in April, in two unrelated young athletes with
similar profiles but different clinical pictures. At the time of the event, the apparent temperature was 29.6 °C with a
relative humidity of 85%.
Cases presentation Patient 1: A 22-year-old man with no known medical history collapsed during an endurance test
after running for one hour and 40 minutes. Pre-hospital medical care was immediately initiated and the onsite clinical
assessment revealed deep coma and major hyperthermia (41.7°C). The patient was rehydrated, cooled using ice
packs, and intubated onsite before being medically transferred to an intensive care unit. On admission, he presented
with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome affecting neurological, hemodynamic, renal, and hepatic functions. Intensive
care management included external cooling, vasopressor support with noradrenaline, extrarenal purification,
antibiotic therapy and continuous administration of N-acetylcysteine. After more than 16 days in intensive care, the
patient was discharged home without sequelae.
Patient 2: A 19-year-old man with no known medical history collapsed in the same morning, at almost the same
time, during that endurance test after running for one hour and 35 minutes. Unlike the first case, no pre-hospital
medical care was provided. The patient was evacuated to an emergency department. On admission, clinical
examination revealed confusion and hyperthermia (39.2°C). Blood tests revealed rhabdomyolysis associated with
acute renal failure yet was treated with intravenous fluid therapy. He eventually recovered and was discharged on
the same day.
Conclusions The tropical climate is an extrinsic risk factor for exertional heat stroke, which can lead to diverse clinical
presentations of varying severity when combined with other factors such as intrinsic factors. This risk is likely to
Creator
Mathilde Monpierre1,2,3* , Delphine Delta1
, Patrick Portecop2
, Marc Valette4
, Frederic Martino4
and Olivier Hue3
, Patrick Portecop2
, Marc Valette4
, Frederic Martino4
and Olivier Hue3
Source
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-025-01023-x
Date
2025
Contributor
Peri Irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Collection
Citation
Mathilde Monpierre1,2,3* , Delphine Delta1
, Patrick Portecop2
, Marc Valette4
, Frederic Martino4
and Olivier Hue3, “Two simultaneous cases of exertional heat
stroke during a trail run in Guadeloupe
(French West Indies): exceptional
presentations or emerging trend?,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 11, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12861.
stroke during a trail run in Guadeloupe
(French West Indies): exceptional
presentations or emerging trend?,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 11, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12861.