Paramedics Kept Busy During Heat Wave
Posted August 2, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With extreme temperatures inevitably come a slew of health problems, and over the last few days Toronto paramedics have had their hands full dealing with heat-related illnesses.
“The last few days we’ve had increases of at least 6% and in the last 48-72 hours up 10 to 15%,” reveals EMS Supervisor Stewart Morris.
Paramedics are also responding to reports of children locked in cars on hot days. So far this year there have been 17 such incidents. Some are accidental, others are intentional.
“Even a minute is too much time for a child in a hot car,” he adds. “It can cause brain damage and other damage and it could lead to death.”
But barring the nightmarish prospect of being locked in a sweltering car, most of us still have to deal with the heat on some level.
“If you’re out and active and even if you’re taking a nice easy day in the heat but you notice you’re not going to the bathroom on a regular basis, that’s the first sign of dehydration,” Morris adds.
