Louisiana – As we move into the hotter months of the year, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is taking proactive measures to prevent heat-related illnesses by introducing a suite of new resources. These resources include an expanded public-facing heat-related illness dashboard and a collection of new heat-related health guidance documents.

Heat-related illness, also known as hyperthermia, occurs when the body is unable to maintain a normal body temperature, resulting in heat exhaustion or life-threatening heat stroke. The state of Louisiana experienced a record-breaking summer in 2023, with the statewide maximum temperature exceeding 95°F on 56 days. This led to an unprecedented number of heat-related emergency department (ED) visits and fatalities, with LDH tracking 88 heat-related deaths and 6,142 ED visits.

The newly expanded dashboard provides Louisianans with a comprehensive view of ED visits for heat-related illnesses across the state. Updated weekly, the dashboard offers detailed breakdowns by day, parish, LDH region, age, sex, and race. It also allows users to explore potential connections between daily heat-related illness counts and statewide maximum temperatures. This data is captured through a syndromic surveillance system that automatically identifies heat-related ED visits based on diagnoses and mentions of heat exposure in patient records.

New features of the 2024 dashboard include the addition of daily maximum temperatures to the display of ED visits by date, a visualization for ED visits by time of day, interactive data visualizations for ED visits by demographic stratification, and additional technical information such as case definitions.

In addition to the dashboard, LDH has released a series of guidance documents aimed at educating workers, employers, and community members on how to prevent heat-related illnesses. These documents include “What Employers Can Do to Protect Workers from Heat,” “What Workers Need to Know,” “Water, Rest and Shade,” “Heat Illness,” and “Employer’s Daily Checklist.” These resources focus on prevention, risk factors, and safe work practices, as well as providing guidance on symptoms and treatments for heat-related illnesses.

LDH’s efforts to combat heat-related illnesses are informed by a recent report summarizing the department’s findings on ED visits for heat-related issues during the 2023 summer months. Key findings from the report include:

• More than 6,100 ED visits were recorded for heat-related issues during the seven-month monitoring period.
• Males made up 76% of the visits, with 8 out of 10 visits from male patients between the ages of 20 and 59.
• Black Louisianans exhibited a higher rate of heat-related ED visits compared to their white counterparts.
• Nearly a quarter of all ED visits involved workers, with men disproportionately affected, which aligns with the prevalence of male-dominated outdoor occupations.
• Pre-existing health conditions played a role in many heat illness cases, with patients suffering from conditions such as substance use, hypertensive and cardiovascular disease, mental and behavioral disorders, diabetes, and respiratory problems being more susceptible.

LDH’s new resources and initiatives aim to educate and empower Louisiana workers, employers, and community members to take proactive steps in preventing heat-related illnesses. By providing access to critical data and guidance, the department hopes to reduce the incidence of heat-related illnesses and fatalities in the state.