The use of an 'acclimatisation' heatwave measure to compare temperature-related demand for emergency services in Australia, Botswana, Netherlands, Pakistan, and USA.
N Naomi van der LindenThomas LongdenJohn R RichardsMunawar KhursheedWilhelmina M T GoddijnMichiel J van VeelenUzma Rahim KhanM Christien van der LindenPublished in: PloS one (2019)
The association between heat and ED demand differs between regions. A limitation of the current study is that it does not consider delayed effects or influences of other environmental factors. Given the association between heat and ED use, hospitals and governmental authorities should recognise the demands that heat can place on local health care systems. These demands differ substantially between regions, with Pakistan being the most heavily affected within our study sample.