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Scenario — Heat exhaustion in elderly female at summer community fair
Patient Information
Dispatch
You are called to a patient (Margaret Holt, 75-year-old female) who has been brought to the FAP by a bystander. She is sitting in a chair, pale, sweaty and complaining of dizziness and nausea.
Incident History
Pt has been attending the Kalamunda Community Summer Fair for approximately 3 hours in 36°C heat. She was found sitting on a bench looking unwell by a bystander. Pt states she has felt dizzy and nauseous for the past 20 minutes and has not had much to drink today.
Emergency Contact
David Holt (Son) 0412 338 774
Initial Rapid Assessment
Response
Alert
Airway
Patent. Nil airway obstruction. Nil stridor.
Breathing
Slightly increased rate. Nil wheeze or crackles. Talking in full sentences.
Circulation
Pulse rapid and weak. Skin pale, cool and clammy to touch. Nil external bleeding.
Disability
GCS 15 (E4V5M6). Oriented to time, place and person. Complaining of dizziness and headache.
Exposure
No rashes or visible injuries. Clothing heavy for conditions — long-sleeved blouse and cardigan. Skin cool and moist.
Vitals
Time SpO2 Resp Dist RR Pulse BP CRT GCS PERL Temp BGL Pain
Initial 97% (RA) Nil 22 108 96/62 3s 15 4 4 ++ 38.2 5.4 mmol/L 3
10 mins 98% (RA) Nil 18 92 108/70 <2s 15 4 4 ++ 37.6 5.4 mmol/L 1
History Taking
Signs/Symptoms
Dizziness, headache, nausea, feeling faint and weak. Heavy sweating.
Onset
Gradual onset over last 20–30 minutes while walking around the fair in the sun.
Pain
Dull headache across forehead.
Quality
Constant dull ache. Nausea without vomiting.
Radiates
Nil
Severity
3/10
Allergies
Nil known drug allergies.
Medications
Amlodipine 5mg daily (for hypertension). Atorvastatin 20mg nightly.
Pertinent History
Known hypertension. No known cardiac or respiratory conditions. Lives independently.
Last Oral Intake
Small breakfast at 7am. Approximately half a glass of water since arriving at the fair 3 hours ago.
Treatment
Nil. Bystander moved her into shade and brought her to the FAP.
Events Leading
Pt had been walking around market stalls in direct sunlight for approximately 3 hours on a hot day. Did not bring water with her and did not seek shade until feeling unwell.
Scenario Progression and Treatment Objectives

((If the trainee does not move the patient out of the sun or into a cooler environment within 2 minutes of arrival, the patient's GCS drops to 14 and she becomes more confused and stops sweating — suspect progression toward heat stroke.))

((If the trainee does not remove or loosen the patient's heavy clothing, the patient states she feels 'even hotter' and her temperature rises to 38.8°C at the 10-minute mark.))

((If the trainee does not offer oral fluids despite the patient being GCS 15 and fully conscious, the patient's BP remains at 96 systolic at 10 minutes.))

((If the trainee does not take observations including temperature and BGL, prompt them: 'The patient asks if she should be worried — is there anything else you want to check?'))

This patient is suffering from heat exhaustion secondary to prolonged sun exposure, inadequate fluid intake and physical exertion in a hot environment at a community fair.

  • Ensure scene safety and don appropriate PPE including gloves.
  • Perform Primary Survey — confirm patent airway, adequate breathing, assess circulation and conscious state.
  • Move patient into a cool, shaded environment — inside the FAP tent or air-conditioned area if available.
  • Position patient supine or semi-recumbent (as tolerated) and do NOT walk the patient unnecessarily.
  • Loosen and remove heavy outer clothing (cardigan, sleeves) to aid cooling.
  • Apply cooling measures: soak or spray tepid water over skin, fan patient to promote heat loss, apply cold packs to neck, groin and axillae.
  • Perform Vital Sign Survey — obtain full observations including temperature (tympanic), BGL, SpO2, BP, HR, RR and GCS.
  • Perform pain assessment using 0–10 numerical rating scale.
  • Offer oral fluids (cool water) given patient is fully conscious GCS 15/15 — encourage to sip slowly.
  • Consider Ondansetron 4mg oral wafer if nausea becomes moderate to severe or patient vomits — confirm no contraindications (no hypersensitivity, not on apomorphine).
  • Reassess vital signs at 10 minutes — expect improvement in BP, HR, CRT and temperature if cooling and fluids commenced.
  • Monitor for signs of progression to heat stroke: cessation of sweating, worsening confusion, seizure, or deteriorating GCS.
  • If symptoms do not improve with rest and cooling within 15 minutes, or patient deteriorates, arrange Priority 1 transport with pre-notification.
  • Consider delaying transport by approximately 15 minutes to allow adequate cooling if patient is responding to treatment and vitals are improving.
  • Continue cooling during transport if conveyance is required.
  • Document all observations, treatments and clinical findings on ePCR.
  • Scenario ends on arrival of ambulance and IMISTAMBO handover.
  • Attention to hand hygiene will be given throughout the scenario.

Clinical references: Heat Stroke · Ondansetron · Oxygen · Blood Glucose Monitor · Tympanic Thermometer · Blood Pressure · Pulse & Respirations · Pulse Oximetry · Pain Assessment