An In-Depth Discussion on Exertional Heat Illness with Dr. Doug Casa and Dr. Fran O’Connor

On this week’s podcast, Dr. Douglas Casa PhD, ATC and Dr. Francis O’Connor MD, MPH, FAMSSM join Dr. Seth Smith MD, PharmD on AMSSM’s Sports Medcast to discuss exertional heat illness with an emphasis on exertional heat stroke.

In this conversation, Dr. Casa and Dr. O’Connor will address the following topics:

• What is the basic paradigm for the prehospital care of exertional heat stroke (EHS)?
• How to develop a thorough emergency action plan (EAP) for recognition and management of EHS?
• What steps can be taken to help reduce the occurrence of EHS?
• What future items may be used to help guide return to activity for patients who have suffered an EHS?

Dr. Casa is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut where he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Korey Stringer Institute.  He leads a team of experts who study sport safety, sudden death in sports, and exertional heat illness/exertional heat stroke.  He has published over 200 peer-reviewed publications/book chapters, presented over 400 times, and has been a lead or co-author on over 15 position/consensus statements on exertional heat illness/sudden death. He is widely recognized as one of the leading authorities worldwide on exertional heat illness.

Dr. O’Connor is Professor and Chair, Military and Emergency Medicine and Associate Director for Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where he leads sports performance and sports medicine research for over 20 years.  He has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications/book chapters, been on the board of American College of Sports Medicine and former president of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. He is a Colonel in the United States Army and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement on Exertional Heat Illness

Casa DJ, DeMartini JK, Bergeron MF, et al. National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement: Exertional heat illnesses. J Athl Train. 2015; 50 (9): 986-1000.

Consensus Statement: Prehospital Care of Exertional Heat Stroke

Belval LN, Casa DJ, Adams WM, et al. Consensus statement – Prehospital care of exertional heat stroke. Pre Emer Care. 2018; 22 (3): 392-397.

American College of Sports Medicine: Roundtable on Exertional Heat Stroke

O’Connor FG, Casa DJ, Bergeron MF. American College of Sports Medicine roundtable on exertional heat stroke – Return to duty/return to play: Conference proceedings. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2010; 9 (5): 314-321.