Peak heat, emergency cases increase
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the North and Central regions are experiencing a series of intense hot days, with many places above 400C.
This is considered the most intense heat wave since the beginning of the year, when two simultaneous measuring stations in Lang (Hanoi) and Do Luong (Nghe An) recorded the highest daily temperature up to 41.10C. Especially intense heat covers a wide area with a total of 22 measuring stations in 11 provinces and cities recording temperatures from 400C or higher.
In the midday hot weather of Hanoi, the emergency room of the A9 Emergency Center, Bach Mai Hospital continuously received patients hospitalized due to heatstroke and heat shock. A 30-year-old male worker was brought to the hospital in a state of exhaustion, exhaustion, sweating profusely like a shower after many hours of working outdoors. Doctors determined that the patient had acute kidney failure due to severe dehydration, accompanied by streptomyalysis after heatstroke. The on-duty team quickly lowered the body temperature, infused fluids and actively treated to maintain the patient's life.
In the emergency bed next door, a 42-year-old man also had to be hospitalized after many hours of moving outdoors in the scorching sun. Not only young workers, hot days also cause many elderly people to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and be hospitalized in a state of exhaustion, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure.
According to Dr. Dang Tuan Dung - Deputy Head of Emergency Room 1, Emergency Center A9, Bach Mai Hospital, on normal days the unit receives about 250 - 300 emergency visits, in recent days the number of cases directly related to hot weather has increased by 60-70 cases per day. Most patients are hospitalized due to dehydration, heatstroke, heat shock or underlying cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic diseases that worsen under the impact of extreme weather.
At the Institute of Mental Health, Bach Mai Hospital, Dr. Duong Minh Tam - Head of the Department related to stress mental disorders - said that the number of patients hospitalized in hot sunny days also tends to increase. Prolonged hot weather makes many patients lose behavioral control, forcing them to be hospitalized for emergency treatment. Each person's body has the ability to adapt to different environments. People with poor endurance or background diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and mental disorders will be more easily affected when temperatures rise.
There are patients who are treated stably at home, taking medicine regularly, but as soon as unfavorable weather occurs, the disease flares up again. In particular, the group of psychotic patients is very prone to paranoia, hallucinations, agitation or loss of behavioral control" - Dr. Tam said.
At Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital, doctors have just received two consecutive cases of heat shock due to working in the fields in hot weather. A 50-year-old patient was hospitalized with symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, and cramped limbs after many hours of harvesting rice in the sun, luckily recovered after being rehydrated and hypothermed. Meanwhile, the 69-year-old patient was brought to the hospital in a state of deep coma, body temperature up to 41-420C, multiple organ failure and had to be ventilated, using vasopressors to maintain blood pressure.
Heatstroke can be life-threatening
Dr. Dang Tuan Dung said that hot weather increases health risks, especially for the elderly, people with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and people with stroke, because the body is prone to dehydration, increased blood viscosity, cardiovascular overload and body thermoregulatory disorders.
People with heatstroke or heat shock often have initial signs such as profuse sweating, muscle pain, cramps, dizziness, headache, exhaustion, nausea or fainting. When the disease becomes more severe, body temperature rises to 39 - 400C, hot and dry skin, accompanied by conscious disorders such as delirium, convulsions, coma. This is a critical condition, requiring immediate emergency care.
When someone is suspected of getting a heatstroke, quickly put them in a cool place, cool their body and replenish water if they are still awake. If there are severe signs such as convulsions, coma or frequent vomiting, lie on your side to ensure the airway and call emergency 115 immediately.
Faced with prolonged hot weather, the Ministry of Health recommends that people limit going outdoors from 10 am to 4 pm to avoid the risk of heatstroke, heat shock and stroke. People need to drink enough water, wear cool clothes, supplement electrolytes, limit working too long in the sun and rest periodically in cool places. When there are symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, convulsions or fainting, it is necessary to quickly give first aid, lower body temperature and take them to the nearest medical facility.
Hospital adjusts regulations on medical examination and treatment
Before the severe heat wave, many hospitals in Hanoi have proactively adjusted their medical examination and treatment procedures to reduce waiting times and support people.
K Hospital currently receives more than 2,000 examinations and treatments per day, has opened from 5 am and started examinations from 6 am, and at the same time increased the number of examination tables and applied pre-scheduling to reduce overload. The hospital also strengthens air conditioning, cooling fans, free drinking water and improves the waiting area for patients.
Similarly, Bach Mai Hospital and many other hospitals, Viet Duc Hospital also simultaneously implemented heat protection measures such as increasing air conditioning, fans, misting, adding seats, drinking water and planting more trees in the campus.
