Albuquerque emergency rooms see surge of patients as heatwave continues

Albuquerque residents wilting in the heat are seeking treatment and relief in local emergency rooms in greater numbers, according to Dr. John Lissoway, the assistant medical director of Presbyterian Hospital’s emergency department.

Albuquerque hit 104 degrees on Monday according to the National Weather Service, and is expected to reach 105 degrees Tuesday, which would push the metro area’s status from a heat advisory to an excessive heat warning. Highs for the rest of the week are expected to remain at or above 100 degrees.

Anecdotally, more patients have presented to the ER with heat-induced illnesses this month, with the onset of blistering temperatures, Lissoway said. Presbyterian has seen an uptick in emergency room visits this July compared to last year, although it’s not certain if that increase is the result of the heatwave, he said.

Heat-related illness falls along a spectrum that ranges from mild to fatal, Lissoway said. Mild to moderate heat exhaustion can cause dehydration, nausea, headaches and in some cases a loss of consciousness. Severe heat afflictions, like heat stroke, can be fatal.

“We’re mostly seeing more of the mild to moderate heat illnesses,” Lissoway said.

While the sun’s relentless rays are beginning to wear on all of us, some groups are more at risk.

“I would say we’re mostly seeing sort of the elderly folks and then the unhoused population, with behavioral health needs and substance use disorder,” Lissoway said.

Sun can be a stressor for the elderly, not only because of age but due to preexisting chronic illness and their accompanying medications. When someone of advanced age arrives at the emergency room with heat exhaustion symptoms, Lissoway said, doctors often have to check their kidney and liver function to ensure they’re not experiencing a more severe heat illness.

“Our unhoused population, certainly that’s a very vulnerable group, especially here in town,” Lissoway said, “Those folks who are not able to get out of the heat during the hottest hours of the day, not able to seek shelter.”

Lissoway said hospital staff have noticed those experiencing homelessness coming to the emergency room in some cases simply to avoid the heat.

For those who have to routinely brave the heat, the initial episode of heat illness may be just the beginning.

“Once you have an episode of heat illness, you’re pretty susceptible in the coming days and weeks afterwards for repeat episodes,” Lissoway said.

To prevent heat illness, Lissoway recommended seeking refuge in the shade when possible, limiting outdoor activity, and staying hydrated. For those who can’t avoid the heat because they work outdoors, Lissoway suggested building up heat tolerance by slowly introducing your body to the high temperatures and working your way up to longer shifts.

“It’s just really important to listen to your body and to understand that it’s hotter now than it has been over the recent past,” Lissoway said, “And we’re going to be facing these sort of heat waves more frequently going forward with climate change. It’s something that the medical community, we’re very attuned to.”