Heat-Related Emergency Department Visits for Children Have Increased

THURSDAY, July 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Heat-related emergency department visits for children increased from 2012 to 2023, according to a study recently published in Academic Pediatrics.

Taylor A. Merritt, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, and colleagues assessed heat-related pediatric emergency department diagnoses from May to September from 2012 to 2023.

The researchers found that aggregate heat-related illness encounters, as a proportion of total emergency department encounters, significantly increased 170 percent from 2012 (4.3 per 10,000) to 2023 (11.6 per 10,000). Summer months, with higher peak temperatures, were significantly associated with higher heat-related emergency department volume (R2 = 0.44). For most heat-specific encounters, patients were discharged from the emergency department (96 percent), while most rhabdomyolysis encounters resulted in admission (63 percent).

“This research strengthens the evidence linking extreme heat to pediatric health risks, helping define the burden and inform future prevention strategies,” Merritt said in a statement. “By identifying trends and demographic patterns, the study raises awareness among clinicians and caregivers to better recognize and protect children at increased risk.”

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