Heat-stroke: a review of rapid cooling techniques.

Patients with prolonged hyperpyrexia due to heat-stroke have a poor outcome. Thus, the most important feature in the management of heat-stroke is rapid cooling. There are several methods of cooling available, such as fan therapy, cold water immersion, iced baths and evaporative cooling. Based on military and civilian experiences worldwide the development of protocols based on evaporative cooling is advocated as the most efficient.