Ambient Temperature and Emergency Department Visits for Heat-Related Illness in North Carolina, 2007–2008

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fuhrmann CM ; Lippmann SJ ; Richardson DB ; Waller AE
• Description:
  Purpose: To estimate the association between environmental temperatures and the occurrence of emergency department visits for heat-related illness in North Carolina, a large Southern state with 85 rural and 15 urban counties; approximately half the state's population resides in urban counties. Methods: County-level daily emergency department visit counts and daily mean temperatures for the period 1/1/2007-12/31/2008 were merged to form a time-series data structure. Incidence rates were calculated by sex, age group, region, day of week, and month. Incidence rate ratios were estimated using categorical and linear spline Poisson regression models and heterogeneity of the temperature-emergency department visit association was assessed using product interaction terms in the Poisson models. Results: In 2007-2008, there were 2539 emergency department visits with heat-related illness as the primary diagnosis. Incidence rates were highest among young adult males (19-44 year age group), in rural counties, and in the Sandhills region. Incidence rates increased exponentially with temperatures over 15.6 degrees C (60 degrees F). The overall incidence rate ratio for each 1 degrees C increase over 15.6 degrees C in daily mean temperature was 1.43 (95%CI: 1.41, 1.45); temperature effects were greater for males than females, for 45-64 year olds, and for residents of rural counties than residents of urban counties. Conclusions: As heat response plans are developed, they should incorporate findings on climate effects for both mortality and morbidity. While forecast-triggered heat health warning systems are essential to mitigate the effects of extreme heat events, public health preparedness plans should not ignore the effects of more persistently observed high environmental temperatures like those that occur throughout the warm season in North Carolina. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Climate Change Emergency Responders Heat Exhaustion Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Public Health Safety Sex Characteristics Temperature

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• Keywords:
  Age Factors Author Keywords: Heat Exhaustion Climate Change Climatic Factors Emergency Care Environmental Epidemiology Gender Factors Heat Exposure Heat Stroke Hot Environments Public Health Temperature Effects

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• ISSN:
  0013-9351
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  35-42
• Volume:
  124
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054203
• Citation:
  Environ Res 2013 Jul; 124:35-42
• Contact Point Address:
  Steven J. Lippmann, Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, 2101 McGavran-Greenberg Hall, CB #7435, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435, USA
• Email:
  slippmann@unc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Research
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ae26c022c9ca6e02f6bbbe7ba22d81c6aa3babab46be31ca1d8f941e4d1e821965b5ec7fe903632d07483d807e692acb8e7897f91a19ffa168343552023f593a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/216815/cdc_216815_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 299.84 KB ]