The number of emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses increased in Cuyahoga County in late June, ticking up right as a heat wave engulfed the metro area.
Visits to local emergency rooms for heat-related illnesses more than doubled during the heat wave at the end of last month, to an average of 30 each day, according to Ohio’s Department of Health. Patients went to the hospital for dehydration, heat exposure and abnormally high body temperatures.
In the first 20 days of June, emergency rooms recorded about 12 visits a day for those same issues.
Emergency room visits peaked on June 24 – the second day of a two-day heat advisory. Temperatures hit record daily highs of 94 degrees on both days.
It’s typical for the first heat wave of the year to bring a sharp increase in emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses, a spokesperson with the state’s health department wrote in a statement. Some studies suggest that the body struggles to acclimate to sudden temperature change, the spokesperson added.
University Hospitals saw an increase in heat-related illnesses during the heat wave, said Dr. Robert Hughes, the vice chair of clinical affairs for emergency medicine for UH. He works as an emergency physician at the UH Cleveland Medical Center.
“I saw everything from very mild dehydration, secondary to being outside and not staying hydrated … all the way up to full-out heat stroke, where somebody presented and their temperature was super high,” Hughes said.
UH didn’t share specific data on the increase in heat-related illnesses across its hospital system. Hughes said it can be difficult to track heat-related illnesses because “heat-adjacent” complaints such as fatigue or dehydration are not always included in the final diagnosis.
A spokesperson with the Cleveland Clinics said data about heat-related illnesses was not readily available due to similar challenges in collecting the data. But the hospital recognizes that heat waves bring more emergency department visits.
“We know volumes will likely increase during heat waves and we prepare for it so we can respond appropriately,” wrote Beth Hertz, the Clinic’s senior manager of corporate communications, in a statement.
A spokesperson for MetroHealth wrote in a text that the hospital had two patients in its emergency department reporting heat-related concerns during the two-day June heat advisory.
Who’s most at risk during a heat advisory?
The elderly, young people and those with pre-existing medical conditions are most susceptible to harm from high heat, Hughes said. These groups are the least able to adapt to heat exposure, he said.
Hughes also mentioned another group: people lacking air conditioning. Between 10% to 15% of homes in the Cleveland metropolitan area lack air conditioning, according to an analysis by the Brookings Institution in 2022.
That can also include unhoused people or people living on the street. More often than not, Hughes said, they come to the emergency room after they’ve been exposed to severe heat, and their distress is caused by a medical issue.
“Either they’re dehydrated because they also have food and drink insecurity,” Hughes said. “Or they are outside, and they just can’t find clothing or shelter that will provide them, you know, means to escape the heat.”
Find tips on dealing with heat-related illness below.
