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Practice Editing Here (Nov 23rd in-class Wiki session work)
Wikipedia Article Title is Heat Stroke
 * This is a place to practice clicking the "edit" button and practice adding references (via the citation button).

Wikipedia Source Citation

Assignment # 3
Wikipedia Assignment #3
 * Note: You will be emailing your assignment # 3 directly to your tutor, however, please paste a version here that excludes your personal information. This will allow us to support your efforts on Wikipedia prior to editing "live" in the article.

Current Paragraph, in ‘Prevention’ section of ‘Heat stroke’ Wikipedia page:

''“The risk of heat stroke can be reduced by observing precautions to avoid overheating and dehydration. Light, loose-fitting clothes will allow perspiration to evaporate and cool the body. Wide-brimmed hats in light colors help prevent the sun from warming the head and neck. Vents on a hat will help cool the head, as will sweatbands wetted with cool water. Strenuous exercise should be avoided during hot weather, especially in the sun peak hours as well as avoiding confined spaces (such as automobiles) without air-conditioning or adequate ventilation.”''

Proposed Changes:

I plan to replace the 1st paragraph in the “Prevention” section with two focused lists of bullet points, outlining prevention in environmental situations (e.g. hot weather), and in the case of individuals who are at high risk. These will precede and slightly overlap the recommendations relating to hydration in hot weather, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration checklist for workers, although these might require further editing in another iteration of the Wikipedia project.

CDC Recommendations for Hot Weather (Overview) :


 * 1) Keep cool
 * 2) Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing or equipment when in hot environments
 * 3) Stay in air-conditioned locations as much as possible, e.g. shopping mall, public library or local heat-relief shelters. Limit outdoor activities to coolest times of the day.
 * 4) If exercising, do so indoors or when it is not too hot outside, and take frequent breaks.
 * 5) Take a cool shower when possible
 * 6) Use the stove and oven less, when indoors
 * 7) Remain hydrated
 * 8) Drink plenty of fluids, whether or not you will be exercising, without waiting until thirsty.
 * 9) Avoid very sugary, alcoholic, as they can cause loss of body fluid. Avoid very cold drinks, as they can cause stomach cramps.
 * 10) Replace salt and minerals lost by sweating: can use sports drinks
 * 11) *If you have are on a low-salt diet or have other health conditions, please ask your doctor before doing consuming sports, or other drinks with high amounts of salt and/or minerals
 * 12) Stay aware
 * 13) Check your local news for extreme heat alerts, safety tips and local heat relief shelters.
 * 14) Learn the signs and symptoms of heatstroke
 * 15) Check on your friends, colleagues and family's health during periods of hot weather, and have them check on you as well. This can be done in person if possible, or through phone/message.

CDC and Wilderness Medicine Society Recommendations for High-Risk Individuals:


 * People who are high risk might be: infants and young children, people 65+ years, people who are overweight, people with high exertion during work or exercise, with physical illnesses
 * People with physical illnesses, such as: heart disease, high blood pressure, who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
 * Adults at risk should be watched twice a day at least, children and infants should be watched more closely: for signs of heat stroke
 * If taking medications, speak with your doctor to ensure these medications are not affecting your body’s response to higher temperatures

Rationale for Proposed Change:

This proposed change aims to both update and focus the information currently available to readers in the ‘Prevention’ section. The current 1st paragraph in ‘Prevention’ is from a CDC OSHA Info Sheet (2015), containing recommendations to protect workers from heat illness. While the information is both from a reliable and recent source, I am planning to update it with a source reviewed in 2017, to convert it to bullet points so that readers can quickly understand it, and supplement it with additional information for individuals who might be high-risk. I believe this is important, because members of the general population might consult the Wikipedia page for heat stroke before consulting CDC, WebMD, or Mayo Clinic websites, either due to their familiarity with the Wikipedia or level of health literacy. Therefore, I am hoping to provide content that is as informative and reputable as possible, while still being user-friendly.

Critique of Source:

In order to draft the proposed changes, I used two sources, and will be critiquing both of them:

CDC source:

This source was selected as it is current (reviewed in 2017), relevant and from a reputable institute (CDC) that provides information for the general population. Initial concerns I have with the source relate to the location of the readers, and any specifications relating to their personal health or living situations. As the CDC is a US institute, the procedures to prevent heat stroke might differ depending on the reader’s country, and the intensity of heat (e.g. might be necessary for high risk individuals to go directly to heat relief centers when heat alerts are announced in countries closer to the Equator). Additionally, for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity or with medical conditions, a different or modified plan for the prevention of heat stroke might be required. Finally, a concern I have for the CDC source are its own information sources (National Center for Environmental Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry), as no list of articles or references is provided, nor are disclosures of conflict of interest or financial/material support. This could increase the risk of biased information within the source.

Wilderness Medicine Society:

This was the main source selected, as it is a set of clinical practice guidelines, was recently published (2019) by a reputable source (Wilderness Medicine Society) and provided the most depth and breadth of content. A few concerns I have with this source relate to the clinical focus of the information and, as mentioned above, the location/country of readers. While the information provided by the source is reliable and up to date, it has been written for HCPs to consult for their patients. The source therefore requires adaptation language and advice that is understandable to members of the general population, with various degrees of health literacy.

What to post on the Wikipedia article talk page?

 * This will also be covered on Nov 23rd in class. Your group should use the below template to share an outline of your proposed improvements (including your new wording and citations). Article talk pages are not places to share your assignment answers. The Wikipedia community will be more interested in viewing your exact article improvement suggestions including where you plan to improve the article (which section), what wording you suggest, and the exact citation (Note: all citations must meet WP:MEDRS)
 * You will not be able to paste citations directly from your sandbox to talk pages (unless you are interested in editing/learning Wiki-code in the "source editing" mode). We suggest re-adding your citations on the talk page manually (using the cite button and populating the citation by pasting in the DOI, website, or PMID). You will have to repeat this process yet again when you edit the actual article live.
 * Talk Page Template: CARL Medical Editing Initiative/Fall 2020/Talk Page Template