Surveillance of Heat-related Morbidity: Relation to Heat-related Excess Mortality

The impact of heat on mortality is well documented but deaths tend to lag extreme heat and mortality data is generally not available for timely surveillance during heat waves. Recently, systems for near-real time surveillance of heat illness have been reported but have not been validated as predictors of heat related mortality. In this study, we examined the associations among weather, indicators of heat-related ambulance calls and emergency department visits and excess natural cause mortality in New York City.

Objective

To describe the extent to which heat-illness indicators increase with extreme heat and to evaluate the association among daily weather, heat-related illness and natural cause mortality.