Heat Stress Emergency Department Visits
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
New Mexico Heat Stress Emergency Department Visits by County, Age-adjusted Rates,
Why Is This Important?
Temperatures in New Mexico are expected to continue to rise, with a higher average temperature as well as more episodes of extreme heat and heat waves. As temperatures increase, the public health concern is heat-related illness. Anyone, regardless of age, sex, or health status, may develop heat-related illness if they are engaged in intense physical activity and/or exposed to environmental heat. The normal body temperature for most people is around 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). When core body temperature rises, the body's response is to sweat and circulate blood closer to the skin surface to increase cooling. If heat exposure exceeds our capacity to cool and the core body temperature continues to rise, then a range of heat-related adverse health effects can develop. Although some of these signs and symptoms, such as heat-related cramps, fainting (syncope), and mild swelling (edema) are relatively minor and readily treatable, they should be used as important warning signs to immediately get the person out of the heat. Heat exhaustion symptoms include mild disorientation, fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), and low blood pressure (hypotension) that may progress to heat stroke if untreated. Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat-related disease, which if untreated can result in death or permanent neurological impairment. The New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (NM EPHT) develops, monitors, and analyzes indicators of heat stress to document changes in morbidity and mortality over place and time due to heat. EPHT also monitors vulnerable areas in New Mexico communities and informs and evaluates the results of local climate-adaptation strategies and extreme heat warning systems. One of the heat-related indicators EPHT monitors are emergency department (ED) visits due to heat stress.
Definition
Heat stress or heat-related illness ranges from mild heat edema and rash, heat syncope, heat cramps, to the most common type, heat exhaustion. Heat-related cramps, rash, and edema are relatively minor, readily treatable conditions. However, they should be used as important warning signs to immediately remove the person from the heat. Untreated heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, the most serious form of heat-related illness. Heat stroke is an extreme medical emergency that if untreated can result in death or permanent neurological impairment.
Data Sources
- Emergency Department (ED) dataset, Health Systems Epidemiology Program, New Mexico Department of Health
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | New Mexico resident emergency department visits between April 1 through September 30 having ICD-9-C 992 or external causes of injury and poisoning (E-code) E900.0 or E900.9 excluding E-code E900.1 (man-made source of heat) anywhere in the record. For data 2016 to present, ICD-10-CM T67, X30, or X32 excluding W92 (not of natural origin) anywhere in the record. |
| Denominator: | Midyear New Mexico resident population. |
How Are We Doing?
The rate of emergency department visits due to heat stress has been steadily increasing since 2010. The southern part of the state experience higher rates. Males account for approximately two-thirds of heat-related ED visits in NM.