Abstract

TRUJILLO, Máximo H; FRAGACHAN G, Carlos; BELLORIN FONT, Ezequiel  and  PERRET GENTIL, Ricardo. Insuficiencia hepática fulminante debida a golpe de calor. Gen [online]. 2008, vol.62, n.2, pp.146-148. ISSN 0016-3503.

We present a case of a young female patient, admitted to our ICU with a heat stroke (HS) while she was practicing trekking in San Juan de Los Morros (Venezuela) during a hot day with high humidity. The patient had generalized convulsions and hyperthermia followed by coma. During the following days she presented multiple organ failure, including renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). The treatment consisted of mechanical ventilatory assistance, corticosteroids, enteral nutrition and other vital supporting measures in the ICU. Up to now there have been published only three cases of FHF following exertional HS. The patient survived and recovered normal hepatic, renal and neurological function after 3 weeks of conservative treatment.  This case of FHF demonstrates that in spite of the severity of the FHF and multiple organ failure, the patient survived only with the supporting measures currently available in the ICU.

Keywords : Insuficiencia Hepática Fulminante; Golpe de Calor; Falla Multiorgánica; Síndrome de Disfunción Multiorgánica.