"The gold standard for treating hyperthermia is full immersion in an icewater bath. This is what the top athletic trainers do, both at the world class and local high school levels.

"The only valid exceptions are people who are very aged or who have seriously pathological cardiac dysrhythmia problems. In just about everyone else, rapid cooling via water at or just above freezing is the gold standard."

"But I didn't know he had a heart problem... so, Doc, how fast does rigor mortis set in in ice water?"

Maybe it's true, maybe the overheated sports people are in great shape except for being stupid enough to get themselves into hyperthermia, but... why does shocking the body like that make me so uncomfortable?

Sue