What are early signs of heat stroke?

• A. Productive cough and wheeze.
• B. Jaundice and clay-colored stools.
• C. Low core temperature and bradycardia.
• D. Very high core temperature, altered mental status or confusion, seizures, and often hot dry skin.

Answer: (D)

Heat stroke is a medical emergency caused by the body's failure to regulate temperature, leading to extreme hyperthermia and brain dysfunction. The best description of early signs includes a very high core temperature, altered mental status or confusion, possible seizures, and skin that is hot and often dry because sweating has diminished or stopped. This combination directly reflects the body's thermoregulatory collapse and central nervous system involvement seen in heat stroke.

Other options point to different conditions: productive cough and wheeze suggest a respiratory issue such as asthma or infection; jaundice with clay-colored stools points to liver or biliary problems; low core temperature with bradycardia describes hypothermia, the opposite of heat stroke. Remember, heat stroke requires immediate cooling and medical care.