Application of an Early In-Hospital Temperature Management Protocol for Heat Stroke Patients

May 24, 2026 updated by: Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
Heat stroke is a life-threatening clinical syndrome characterized by an imbalance between heat production and heat dissipation in the body, resulting from exposure to hot and humid environments and/or strenuous exercise. It is defined by an elevated core temperature exceeding 40°C and central nervous system abnormalities, accompanied by multi-organ dysfunction. The severity of cellular and tissue damage in heat stroke patients depends on the peak temperature reached and the duration of hyperthermia. Rapid reduction of core temperature can halt cellular damage, quickly reverse organ dysfunction, and improve patient outcomes. Therefore, early identification and rapid cooling are crucial to prevent irreversible damage and death in heat stroke patients. However, there is a lack of systematic and specific protocols to guide emergency medical staff in the standardized and effective management of body temperature in heat stroke patients. To address this, our research team previously developed an early in-hospital temperature management protocol for heat stroke patients based on the best available evidence, expert consultations, and expert panel meetings. This study aims to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the protocol through clinical research, providing a basis for clinical practice.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
188

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
      • Dongyang, China
        • Recruiting
        • Dongyang People's Hospital
        • Contact:
          • Shuying Xu
      • Hanzhou, China
        • Recruiting
        • the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Lan Chen, M.Med.
          • Phone Number: +86 13819987120
      • Jinhua, China
        • Recruiting
        • Jinhua municipal central hospital
        • Contact:
          • Sunying Wu
      • Jinhua, China
      • Lanxi, China
        • Recruiting
        • Lanxi People's Hospital
        • Contact:
          • Xiaoling Yang
      • Yiwu, China
    • Zhejiang
      • Guli, Zhejiang, China, 321300
        • Recruiting
        • Yongkang No.1 People's Hospital
        • Contact:
          • Huimin Ma
          • Phone Number: 86-0579-7111834
          • Email: ykmhm@qq.com

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients admitted to the emergency department and diagnosed with heat stroke according to the China expert consensus on Heat Stroke

Exclusion Criteria:

  • transferred from another hospital and body temperature < 39.5℃; discharged within 4 hours, and subsequent body temperature or outcomes were unavailable; required immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation; had other serious diseases, such as massive cerebral haemorrhage or severe trauma.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: experimental group
Using the early in-hospital temperature management protocol for heat stroke patients developed in our previous research, we will implement early identification, rapid cooling, and precise target temperature management for this group of patients.
Other: the early in-hospital temperature management protocol for heat stroke patients
The early in-hospital temperature management protocol for heat stroke includes early identification, selection of cooling methods for rapid cooling, precise target temperature management, and dynamic monitoring. Effective temperature management will be implemented for heat stroke patients to improve their outcomes.
No Intervention: control group
We will retrospectively collect data on heat stroke patients who were visited before the implementation of the early in-hospital temperature management protocol between 2021 and 2022, meaning this group of patients received temperature management according to the original methods used by their respective hospitals.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body temperature at 0.5 hours
Time Frame: 0.5 hours
Body temperature at 0.5 hour refers to a reading obtained 25 to 35 minutes after admission.
0.5 hours
cooling rate at 0.5 hours
Time Frame: 0.5 hours
The cooling rate at 0.5 hours was calculated in reference to initial body temperature and body temperature at 0.5 hours
0.5 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body temperature at 2 hours
Time Frame: 2 hours
Body temperature at 2 hours refers to a reading taken 100 to 140 minutes after admission
2 hours
in-hospital mortality
Time Frame: 30 days
Mortality from any cause during hospitalization
30 days
3-month mortality rate
Time Frame: 3 months
death within 3 months after emergency visit
3 months
Number of participants with other complications
Time Frame: 3 months
including heart failure, renal failure, coagulation disorders, respiratory failure, neurological sequelae, etc.
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Jinhua People's Hospital
Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital
Yiwu Central Hospital
Yongkang No.1 People' s Hospital
Dongyang People's Hospital
Lanxi People's Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: lan chen, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 28, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 31, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 5, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 24, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024-0511

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings