Prevention
Far broader awareness of the risks of hyperthermia is needed by medical professionals, the lay public and aquatic facility owners. This event could have been prevented by a mother alerted to the risks presented by an overheated hot tub, made aware by signage and by available thermometers showing actual tub temperature. The aquatic attendant should have been aware of both the tub temperature and the risks thus presented, and equipped to manage adverse events. Facility management should have made adaptations to the hot tub to avoid such risks through appropriately covering the area to reduce solar gain, and setting the temperature no higher than 100°F, as described in the Model Aquatic Health Code. Facility management should also have had better oversight of the tub vicinity than a single attendant over the entire large area.
Funding Credits and Disclosure of Potential and Real Conflicts of Interest
No external funding was used in preparation of this manuscript. I have no real or potential conflicts of interest.