Skip to main content

At Two Dallas Hospitals, Kids' ER Visits for Heat Illness Nearly Tripled Over Last Decade

By Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 27, 2024.

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, September 27, 2024 -- In a sign that climate change may be fueling heat illnesses in kids, a new study reveals that such visits to two Texas children's emergency rooms spiked 170% between 2012 and 2023.

Study leader Dr. Taylor Merritt, a resident pediatrician at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, is to present the findings Sunday at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

While research not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal is considered preliminary, study co-author Dr. Andrew Yu, a pediatrician at UT Southwestern, said the findings likely reflect trends in other areas of the country where extreme heat is becoming more common.

Children treated for heat-related emergencies at the two large hospitals in Dallas were seen for a variety of conditions, from heat cramps and heat stroke to life-threatening complications such as rhabdomyolosis, according to the study.

"As extreme summer temperatures become more frequent due to a changing climate, we're seeing a rise in heat-related illnesses, particularly in vulnerable groups like children," Merritt said in an AAP news release.

For the study, researchers looked at 542 heat-related visits to the ER. Nearly 8 in 10 patients (418) had heat-specific diagnoses and a quarter (131) were diagnosed with rhabdomyoloysis. Often called "rhabdo," it is a rare and potentially deadly condition in which muscles break down, often after excessive exercise or heat stress.

Most of the kids (63%) with rhabdo had to be admitted to the hospital, the study found.

Most children (96%) with diagnoses like heat exhaustion or heat stroke were treated and released.

Children presenting with heat-specific health issues tended to be younger, Hispanic and living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, the study found.

"As pediatricians, we see firsthand how excessive heat affects children's health," Merritt said. "The significant rise in heat-related illnesses over the past decade underscores a growing public health concern that warrants further attention and action."

Yu said the findings underscore the importance for parents and pediatricians alike to understand how the changing climate can affect children's health and safety.

Sources

  • UT Southwestern, news release, Sept. 27, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Ex-Vaccine Panelist Speaks Out on Firing, New Committee

Thursday, June 26, 2025 — The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been soberly and deliberately helping set U.S. vaccination policy for more than...

Senate Grills CDC Nominee Susan Monarez on Agency Cuts

THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 —  The woman tapped to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says she supports science, vaccines and public health...

NIH Stops Canceling Research Grants Following Court Ruling

THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stopped canceling biomedical research grants after a federal judge said hundreds of those cuts were...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.