Doctors treat variety of heat-related ills

Las Vegans may be used to handling scorching summers, but that doesn't mean physicians and hospitals aren't seeing their share of dehydration, exhaustion, vomiting, cramping and sunburns.

The recent heat wave, which should cool off a little in the coming days, has brought ambulances to homes where people have passed out or complained of heart attack symptoms that were likely more heat-related than cardiovascular.

No deadly heat strokes have been reported, but several people have been admitted into area hospitals for intravenous therapy and sunburns, and one person's skin was burned after touching scorching pavement.

Friday's high was 115 degrees, tying a record for July 6 set in 1989. On Thursday, the mercury hit 116, tying the record for July 5 set in 1985.

At least one cancer patient may have absorbed more pain medication than needed from a drug delivery patch because of the heat, said Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang, medical director of the Nevada Cancer Institute.

"He has had dizziness that is possibly a side effect of the heat causing increased amount of the drug in his system,'' Vogelzang said Friday in an e-mail.

Excess heat is a known risk to certain patches widely used to treat cancer pain because they are designed to release doses at a particular body temperature, Vogelzang said.

Though temperatures are supposed to linger around 110 in the next few days -- six degrees cooler than Thursday's 116 -- health officials are doling out their traditional heat-related advice: Stay indoors.

"People who are working in the sun during the day, they don't have access to shelter. Their bodies are stressed in these conditions,'' said Dr. Jeff Davidson, director of Valley Hospital Medical Center's emergency department. "Obviously anyone who can't afford an air conditioner in their home would be in danger of a heat related illness. Some people may have a pre-existing condition that puts them at risk.''

Several Las Vegas Valley emergency rooms admitted to treating an influx of patients suffering from heat-related problems this past week.

Between Monday and Thursday, 10 people were treated at Spring Valley Hospital suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion. During that same time period, physicians at Valley Hospital Medical Center treated 22 people for a heat-related health problem.

"We've definitely had an increase in heat-related illnesses within the last couple of weeks,'' Davidson said. "For the most part people are coming in presenting symptoms of dehydration, exhaustion and cramping, and they are a little lethargic.''

Some of those patients were admitted for 24-hour observations. Most were between the ages of 40 and 60, Davidson said.

Several children have been treated at Southern Hills Hospital for heat problems and sunburn, said Davette Shea, a registered nurse and emergency room director. The burns were likely the result of parents not recognizing how much sun their children had actually been exposed to, she said.

"We had one child who came in (Wednesday) vomiting,'' Shea said.

Young children and seniors are most at risk of becoming ill due to the heat. So are people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart ailments and thyroid problems, Shea said. Medications taken to treat these illnesses, when combined with the heat, can also cause problems because some are diuretics, which help the kidney produce urine.

"When you have a pre-existing condition, it can be harder to treat if you are suffering from a heat-related problem,'' she said. "We have to be extra careful about the volume of fluids we give them.''

Kristina Zemaitis, a spokeswoman for UMC, said between Sunday and Wednesday, the emergency department treated three cases of heat exhaustion, one case of a person burned from the hot pavement and four patients for dehydration.

However, Zemaitis said this isn't unusual for this time of year.

Jon Graff, operations supervisor for American Medical Response, said the agency is receiving heat-related emergency calls. But, whether that's significantly higher than normal is hard to quantify.

"Heat-related calls are very misleading because there is a specific code for them,'' he said. "Many times someone who is passed out and had spent a lot of time in the sun may be a heat-related call, but that doesn't show up that way.''

Graff said there are two main heat-related illness: heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is the most common and less serious, though both can be fatal.

He said people with heat exhaustion may experience headache, dizziness, nausea, and weakness.

They may also sweat profusely, and other symptoms include loss of appetite and a weak pulse. Even though they are sweating, their skin may appear pale and cool.

A patient suffering from a heat stroke will have hot, dry and red skin. Their pulse will be strong and rapid and they often may appear as if in a coma.

"This is a true emergency,'' Graff said.

If people can't avoid the sun altogether, health officials urge wearing a hat or loose fitting clothing, staying hydrated and using sunblock.

The National Weather Service lifted its excessive heat warning for Las Vegas Friday at 9 p.m. Today's high is expected to be about 111 and, on Sunday, 110.

"There is a little more humidity because the clouds are taking form around the valley, but nothing too serious,'' said weather service spokesman Brian Fuis. "There's no major monsoon flow. We're running a little late this year.''