Exertional Heat Illnesses

presented by Susan Yeargin, PhD, ATC

12-Month Subscription

Unlimited access to:

Thousands of CE Courses
Patient Education
Home Exercise Program
And more

Subscribe Now

First Chapter Free Buy This Course

Accrediting Body:

Target Audience:

Levels:

Disclosure Statement:

Satisfactory completion requirements: All disciplines must complete learning assessments to be awarded credit, no minimum score required unless otherwise specified within the course.

MedBridge is committed to accessibility for all of our subscribers. If you are in need of a disability-related accommodation, please contact [email protected]. We will process requests for reasonable accommodation and will provide reasonable accommodations where appropriate, in a prompt and efficient manner.

Accreditation Check:

"This course will be retired and no longer available as of January 11, 2022. Please complete the course by December 31, 2021 to receive credit.

Looking for more content on this topic? MedBridge recommends the following courses:

Exertional Heat Illness: Advanced Analysis of Intrinsic Risk Factors
Exertional Heat Illness: Advanced Analysis of Extrinsic Risk Factors
Differentiating Exertional Heat Exhaustion and Exertional Heat Stroke
Dr. Susan Yeargin's course on exertional heat illnesses covers exercise-associated muscle cramps, Exertional Heat Exhaustion, Sickling, and Exertional Heat Stroke. It is designed to highlight key items in each of the following domains for both the experienced and novice health care clinician. Etiology along with clinical history items is provided for the recognition of each condition followed by immediate evidence-based treatments. Known risk factors are presented in conjunction with prevention interventions for each condition. Lastly, general guidelines for return to activity are given. Throughout the course, common mythology is addressed, research support provided, and practical applications offered.

Updated versions of this course have been created. Please find the new courses here:

Meet Your Instructor

Susan Yeargin, PhD, ATC

Susan Yeargin is an associate professor of athletic training at the University of South Carolina. She serves on NATA's pronouncements and research committees. She was a task force member and author of the "Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics" and a coauthor of the recent NATA position statement update on exertional heat illnesses. She…

Read full bio

Chapters & Learning Objectives

1. Introduction

Introduce course topics and outline course structure and objectives, including the definitions, etiology, recognition, treatment, and prevention of exertional heat illnesses, including exercise-associated muscle cramps, exertional heat exhaustion and heat syncope, exertional heat stroke, and exertional sickling.

2. Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps

Compare definitions commonly used to diagnosis muscle cramping. List common EAMC etiologies that have been identified in research. Identify key signs and symptoms associated with EAMC. Outline treatment options that can be used for EAMC patients. Recommend prevention strategies associated with the most common etiologies.

3. Exertional Heat Exhaustion and Heat Syncope

Differentiate between the two common etiologies of exertional heat exhaustion. Identify key signs and symptoms associated with exertional heat exhaustion and syncope. Outline the basic treatment course for exertional heat exhaustion and syncope patients. Recommend prevention strategies for exertional heat exhaustion.

4. Exertional Heat Stroke

Differentiate between exertional and classical heat stroke definitions. Explain the physiological etiology of exertional heat stroke. Compare the key signs and symptoms associated with exertional heat stroke as opposed to exertional heat exhaustion. Judge exertional heat stroke treatment options to determine the best patient outcome. Propose prevention strategies based on the predisposing factors associated with exertional heat stroke. Generalize return to activity guidelines for exertional heat stroke victims.

5. Exertional Sickling

Recognize etiologies commonly involved with exertional sickling events. Differentiate key signs and symptoms associated with exertional sickling events as compared to other heat illnesses. List basic treatments for patients experiencing an exertional sickling event. Recommend prevention strategies for exercising sickle cell trait individuals.