Emergency Rooms Swamped as Record Heat Above 100F Wilts US South
- Some hospitals call in additional staff to handle surges
- One Phoenix hospital is seeing the most patients since Covid
Paramedics from Phoenix Fire Station 18 transport a resident to the hospital during a heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 20.
Photographer: Caitlin O'Hara/BloombergHeat-related illnesses have spiked as the US bakes in a record-hot summer, forcing some hospitals to call in more staff to treat a surge in patients.
The proportion of emergency-room visits linked to heat skyrocketed in Texas and surrounding states starting in June, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, with some weeks surpassing levels seen last year. Rates soared in other parts of the country, including the Southwest, in late June and July. Doctors in Arizona and Texas said it’s the worst summer they’ve experienced, with a higher number of patients coming in and some needing treatment for severe conditions like heat stroke, when high body temperatures can damage vital organs and sometimes lead to death.