Clinical characteristics and risk factors of male exertional heatstroke in patients with myocardial injury: an over 10-year retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Heatstrokes are a serious threat to human health, particularly the cardiovascular system. Understanding the clinical features and risk factors related to death in patients with myocardial injury (MI) complicated by heat stroke is crucial. Method This study included the baseline data of all patients with severe heatstroke between October 2008 and May 2019. Results Of the 162 patients enrolled, 75 (46.3%) were in the MI group and 87 (53.7%) were in the non-MI group. A significant difference was noted in 90-day survival between the two groups even after correction for Age, Acute Physiology, and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), and activated partial thromboplastin time (before correction (p < .001; after correction, p = .023). Survival analysis showed that the 90-day survival time of patients with MI was shorter than that of patients without MI (p < .001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting mortality based on the SOFA score was 92.8% (95% CI 0.847–1.000, p < .001), the optimal cutoff value was 7.5, the sensitivity was 91.7%, and the specificity was 94.6%. Conclusion Patients with heatstroke having MI had more severe clinical conditions, 90-day mortality was significantly increased, and the survival time was shortened. A high SOFA score is an independent risk factor for death in patients with heatstroke having MI, with an optimal cutoff value of 7.5, sensitivity of 91.7%, and specificity of 94.6%.