MedStar treats heat-related issues, ERCOT extends watch as North Texas swelters
Waking up to an excessive heat warning has become a daily routine in North Texas as triple-digit temperatures continue.
MedStar has treated over 600 heat-related patients this summer, which has actually been cooler than last year.
Last year, there were 47 days when DFW had a temperature of 100 degrees or more, the sixth-most days over 100 degrees that DFW has seen. This year, there have been 25 but that number will increase as highs are expected to be between 105 and 110 through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
The extreme heat promped ERCOT to issue a weather watch through Friday, warning of the possibility of lower energy reserves. ERCOT manages the state’s power grid.
MedStar spokesperson Matt Zavadsky said, 606 people have been treated for heat-related issues since May 1, including 453 who were transported to a hospital.
He added that number was “on par” with last year, when 859 heat-related issues were recorded from May 1 through September.
Zavadsky said last year’s increased number of cases was most likely because “it was the first summer people actually left their house in two years coming out of the pandemic.”
MedStar treated 23 people this weekend and transported 21 of them to the hospital.
He said MedStar often treats people who are are not accustomed to the Texas heat or haven’t fully prepared themselves.
Zavadsky said people should “pre-hydrate” by drinking lots of water two days before outside activity and continue to hydrate throughout the day of the activity. He also added that replenishing electrolytes through sports drinks can help prevent heat cramps.
The second group of patients MedStar often treats are people who have not protected themselves from the excessively hot conditions. This includes construction workers, landscapers, roofers, and homeless people. Here he advised the use of bright-colored, loose-fitting clothing to prevent the absorption of heat.
Finally, Zavadsky said MedStar sees people who fail to properly keep cool while inside. Elderly people have trouble regulating their body temperature and there are others who try to save money by turning off their air conditioning, but it comes at the risk of their health.
“They may not even feel the result of a heat-related emergency until it is too late,” he said.
Zavadsky referenced a few cases in which elderly patients were treated because they were sitting in a warm environment of 80 to 85 degrees for three days, which is “almost as bad as being in a 100-degree environment for three hours.”
Long periods of time in that environment can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Zavadsky said MedStar expects the volume of heat-related responses will decrease when kids go back to school and parents go back to work, keeping them on the inside instead of going outside.
