FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Hospitals in the Atlanta metro area are seeing a surge in patients suffering from heat-related illnesses.
One patient died after an extreme case of heatstroke.
Dr. Douglas Olson II, with Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, told Channel 2’s Tom Regan their system of five hospitals has seen a 20 percent increase in heat illness cases since the intense heatwave began.
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The staff at Northside Hospital emergency departments is now treating dozens more patients for heat-related illness.
The first symptoms are muscle cramps then heat exhaustion, which would be dizziness, headache, nausea, even worsening cramps and excessive sweating.
Olson says many of the patients they’ve seen are people who work outside in the oppressive heat for hours on end.
One of their hospitals received an outdoor worker who’d suffered a major heatstroke. His body temperature was 104 degrees, he was unconscious, may have suffered a heart attack and died.
“We have seen all across the gamut of presentations, but unfortunately a work related, occupation risk for heatstroke and that led to a patient dying from it,” Olson said.
“‘The mortality rate is very high from heatstroke,” he added. “Time is of the essence.”
Micheal Lohry’s job keeps him outdoors for most of the day. He says he’s well aware of health dangers of working in the intense heat.
“Lots of water, lots of water,” he said. “I jump into this truck every once and a while, turn on the air conditioner. You can’t stay in too long. Your body gets too acclimated. You just have to jump out in the heat.”
Doctors say dehydration causes a loss of electrolytes, or minerals in your body, and that can trigger organ failure. That’s why it’s so important to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks from the heat.
Others who are at higher risk are the very young and the elderly, as well as people who have pre-existing health issues.
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