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The percentage of emergency room visits associated with heat It jumped in Texas and neighboring states starting in June, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, with some weeks exceeding levels seen last year. Prices rose in other parts of the country, including the Southwest, in late June and July.
It’s the worst summer yet, doctors in Arizona and Texas said, with more patients coming in and some needing treatment for severe conditions like heatstroke, as high body temperatures can damage vital organs and sometimes lead to death. Temperatures set monthly and all-time records across the country in the past month, rising well above 38C in many places. There’s little chance of relief soon: Most of the United States has a high chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures through August 3, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
In Phoenix, where temperatures were on track to reach 43 degrees Celsius or higher for the 22nd straight day on Friday, the Valley Wise Health system called in additional staff to handle the highest number of patients since the pandemic.
Summer heat-related illnesses are “not an uncommon problem” in Phoenix, said Michael White, Valleywise’s chief clinical officer, but the number of patients we’re seeing now with heat exposure has gone up. At least 18 people have died from heat-related causes this year through July 15 in Maricopa County. Another 69 deaths are under investigation.
20 emergencies in the Texas health system Rooms It saw 181 patients complaining of heatstroke and heat exhaustion in June, the highest number for that month in records going back to 2019.
Doctors said many patients had relatively mild ailments, including heat exhaustion and rashes from sun exposure. Others have severe cases of heat stroke, and may be given IV fluids or sometimes wrapped in specially designed bags filled with ice.
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