The extremehot spell is set tocontinuein the northern and central regions of the country.

Thecentre said due to high heat pressure in the West and the Southwestmonsoon, the northern will suffer high temperatures between 36 and 39 degreesCelsius, while the north central region will face high temperature between37-40 degrees Celsius, reaching as high as over 40 degrees in some specificareas.

Thenorthern provinces will face extreme heat over the next one or two days and thecentral region will suffer the same situation over the next two or three days,the centre said.

Theprolonged hot weather along with low humidity would bring high risks of firesto crowded residential areas with high usage of electricity and could setoff forest fires in central provinces.

Theextended heat wave can cause dehydration, exhaustion and heat stroke,especially among old people, children and those who work under the sun.

Dr. NguyenThi Nga of the Intensive Care Department of Hospital 108 in Hanoi told onlinenewspaper vietnamnet.vn that in the first three weeks of thismonth, the department had received three patients for heat shock.

Thepatients were hospitalised with high fevers around 40 degrees Celsius,deep comas, heart liver and kidney failure and severe coagulationdisorder, the doctor said.

Thepatients had been working under the sun for several hours without resting anddrinking enough water.

Afterbeing hospitalised in serious conditions, two of the three patients died. Thethird patient was still being treated but she remained in critical condition.

Initialsymptoms of heat shock include excessive sweating, muscle pains, cramps,headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting or fainting, the doctor said.

Thedoctor advised that if someone experiences a high fever above 39 degrees anddelirium, convulsions or coma, they must be hospitalised immediately becausetheir life is in danger.

Immediatetreatment for heat shock patients is very important because prolonged highbody temperature could lead to nerve and organ damage which could not bereversed, said the doctor.-VNA

Theo en.vietnamplus.vn