JACKSON, Miss (WJTV) – Leaders with American Medical Response (AMR) said crews in Mississippi have helped dozens of patients with heat-related illnesses in June 2023.
From May 1-27, AMR paramedics and EMTs helped 10 patients with heat illness symptoms. AMR’s central Mississippi crews triaged six patients as suffering mild illness and four as having moderate heat illness. The median age of the 10 patients was 44, and the age range was 11 to 70-years old.
From June 1-27, AMR helped 21 patients with heat illness symptoms. AMR crews identified 14 as suffering mild heat illness, six as moderate and one as severely ill. The median age was 53, and the age range was 21 to 79-years old.
AMR officials said it’s important to call 911 for an ambulance as soon as heat illness is suspected. You should look out for the following symptoms for heat exhaustion:
- Light-headedness or dizziness
- Weakness
- Profuse sweating with cool, clammy skin
- Nausea
- Vomiting
If not treated quickly, heat exhaustion can deteriorate to potentially fatal heat stroke.
With heat stroke, the patient has sweated out nearly all fluid reserves, so the skin will be hot and dry. With heat stroke, depending on the patient’s complexion, health officials said the skin can be red or mottled. The heat stroke victim can lose consciousness, go into a coma and may die.
According to AMR, it’s important to cool the suspected heat illness patient quickly, but not to the point of shivering. Move the victim to an air-conditioned location or under some shade. Loosen the clothing and place cool wet cloths on the patient’s body, but not the face.
If the patient is fully alert, give sips of cool water. If the person giving first aid provides the victim a bath or flows water from a host onto the patient, the water should be lukewarm or cool – but definitely not cold.
If you have ice packs or make them quickly, put them on the body where veins are close to the surface of the skin – on the sides of the neck, under the armpits, on the inner side of the wrists, on the inner thighs (near the groin area) and on the top of the feet near the ankle.