Heat-Coded Emergency Department Visits in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Exposure to extreme heat or working in hot environments can result in heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rash. Of these illnesses, heat stroke is the most serious and can result in death. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. 

A recent study found that extreme heat is associated with more than 34,000 excessive emergency department visits in the U.S. every year.

Populations that are disproportionately affected by extreme heat include older adults, children, people with preexisting conditions, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people living in low-income communities. 

In 2023, emergency department visits for heat-related illness were higher among:

• Males compared with females.
• Adults ages 18-54 compared with those younger than 18 or older than 75.

During 2021-2022, the industry with the highest number of heat-related workplace injuries was trade, transportation and utilities by a significant margin, followed by manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction, in that order.

High energy costs and power outages can affect critical access to air conditioning and cool spaces during extreme heat events. The Department of Health and Human Services offers financial assistance for households at risk of heat stress through initiatives such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the emPOWER Program.

There are several strategies that employers can use to reduce workplace heat stress, including:

• Making changes to the workplace's physical environment to reduce heat exposure. Suggestions include increasing airflow velocity, using heat-absorbing shielding, and reducing steam leaks, wet floors and humidity.
• Implementing heat-safe work practices, such as increasing the number of workers per task, providing water, limiting the time employees spend working in the heat and increasing recovery time in a cool area.
• Training workers to recognize symptoms of heat stress, avoid risk, administer first aid and take measures to protect themselves from heat stress concerns specific to their worksite. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set evidence-based standards and guidance for working in hot environments.

Healthy People 2030 has a developmental objective to reduce diseases and deaths related to heat.

Jacklitsch, Brenda, W. Jon WIlliams, Kristin Musolin, Aitor Coca, Jung-Hyun Kim, and Nina Turner. NIOSH Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, February 1, 2016. https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2016106.

McGeeney, Daniel, Shruti Rathnavel, Emily McAden, Clifton Dassuncao, and Aylin Sertkaya. Estimating Emergency Department Utilization of Select Drugs During Extreme Heat Events. Research Brief. Concord, MA: Eastern Research Group, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, September 15, 2025. https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/7c2a554bbb0ecc15acb5d958c917607a/ASPE-ExtremeHeat-FinalIssueBrief-20250915-Clean-508.pdf.

Vaidyanathan, Ambarish, Abigail Gates, Claudia Brown, Emily Prezzato, and Aaron Bernstein. “Heat-Related Emergency Department Visits — United States, May–September 2023.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 73, no. 15 (April 18, 2024): 324–29.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7315a1.