Heat wave: already under tension, emergency services must accommodate heat victims

While temperature records were broken in 64 municipalities on Monday, emergency services see patients arriving whose organisms have been tested by hot weather.

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France suffocates, and its emergency services, already underwater due to a shortage of nursing staff, also run out of steam. After hitting the Atlantic facade, the heat wave moved to the east on Tuesday, July 19. The 40 ° C were reached, or even exceeded in Paris, Rouen or Beauvais.

Scorber waves that put bodies to the test. In the Paris region, the Avicenne Hospital (Public Assistance-Hospitals in Paris) is experiencing a “15 % increase in emergency attendance” in one week. “What we see is mainly cases of dehydration, especially among the most fragile audiences, explains Frédéric Adnet, head of the Emergency Emergency Service. They are especially people over the age of 70 years , isolated, which have cognitive disorders which do not allow them to drink by themselves. These people are addressed to us by retirement homes, nursing homes [accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people] or relatives. “The Samu also had to take care of “a few heat stroke”, but according to Professor Adnet, the hospital is nevertheless not overwhelmed by an unmanageable influx of patients.

The Rennes University Hospital, near a popular coastal area of ​​tourists, records an increase in “30 % of the Samu activity” and “10 % to 20 %” of that of emergencies since emergencies since sunday. “We especially receive young people who make discomfort following an exhibition in the sun, which is managed fairly quickly,” says Louis Soulat, chief of emergency room. He nevertheless notes a slight influx of elderly “in decompensation” cardiac after several days of hot weather as well as serious trauma accentuated by alcohol consumption “. Reasons which require hospitalization and which are added to the “scarcity” of the establishment’s emergency beds.

But even if he observes an increase in the number of patients who flock to the CHU in summer, Professor Soulat notes a drop in the number of EHPAD residents admitted. “It shows that what has been done since 2003 works,” he comments. A observation also shared by Frédéric Adnet: “I think there has been a major impact of prevention campaigns. People have understood the gestures and know how to protect themselves. They know the air -conditioned places to take refuge like the shopping centers, the Cinemas. “

The Emergency Head of Avicenna remains cautious. “What is worrying is rather the fact that 25 % of our beds are closed at the moment. Admittedly, we are not overwhelmed, but we still have a great crowd and patients in dehydration, or Who suffer from hot blows, and that we cannot extend, “he regrets. In Rennes, “13 % of our beds are closed, specifies Louis Soulat. We should reach our attendance peak between the 1 er and August 15, since several emergency services in the region close to from next week. “

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/Media reports.