Getting Hotter Heat Emergencies in Older Adults

Climate change, and the associated increase in frequency and severity of heat waves, poses a threat to health. Amongst the most at risk for heat-related emergencies are older adults; age-associated physiologic vulnerabilities, chronic conditions, medications that disrupt thermoregulatory responses, and social determinants all contribute to an increased risk of heat-related illness in this population. When an older adult presents to the emergency department (ED) with vague or subtle symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, they may be missed by ED practitioners – a concerning thought as these patients are at a greater risk of mortality from heat-related emergencies. Optimal management of these presentations requires clinical recognition and treatment within the ED as well as pre-hospital interventions that can be given by emergency medical services (EMS). GEMCast host Dr. Christina Shenvi is joined by Geoff Comp, Associate Program Director at Creighton University School of Medicine/Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, as the two do an in-depth review of this critical topic. Dr. Comp holds a wilderness medicine fellowship through the Wilderness Medical Society and is an expert in heat-related illness. Show notes are available on the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC) website. https://gedcollaborative.com/resource/atypical-presentations/getting-hotter-heat-emergencies-in-older-adults/