Heat stroke in schools.

During children’s development period, their sweating mechanism is still immature and their bodies retain heat easily, making it difficult to understand changes in their physical condition. Moreover, their sweat glands are unable to acclimatize to heat, and so large amounts of salt are lost. Of the 133 cases of accidental death due to heat stroke that occurred in Japan under school supervision between 1975 and 2009, the largest number of cases (35) was related to baseball, followed by rugby, football, judo, and kendo. Regarding the seasons in which heat stroke occurs, cases develop between the end of the rainy season in mid-July and the end of September, with boys aged 15–17 comprising the overwhelmingly largest group of cases. Furthermore, a notable number of heat stroke cases occur when humidity is high even though the temperature is not high. Heat stroke occurs easily when temperatures and humidity are high, fluid intake is difficult, and there is no movement of air. For this reason, sports activities under the blazing sun and in closed gymnasiums require careful attention to the sports environment and sufficient fluid intake that also replaces lost salt. Furthermore, in the case that a patient presents with impaired consciousness, they should immediately be given emergency medical treatment with heat stroke, heart disease, and cranial nerve dysfunction in mind.