ABC 7: SoCal Heat Wave Leaves Elderly Vulnerable to Temperature Extremes

ABC 7 recently interviewed Roger Yang, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai, and the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News interviewed Sam Torbati, MD, medical director of the Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department at Cedars-Sinai, about heat-related illnesses.

Untreated heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition that can cause confusion, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Yang told ABC 7 correspondent Denise Dador that older people are especially at risk, and it’s important to check in on them when the temperature soars.

“By the time you have heatstroke, most of these people are confused and not acting normal,” he said. “Patients will start going into multi-organ failure so their livers can fail. Maybe during these times they should get family involved to watch over them.”

Yang told Dador children also should be closely monitored, as they are not able to regulate their body temperature as easily as adults. If they’re acting dizzy, if they feel nauseated or if they’re extremely sweaty, Yang said those are “probably signs that they’re heading towards heat exhaustion.”

Torbati, associate professor and co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, told the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News that staying hydrated and avoiding exercise during the hottest part of the day is good prevention.

“We are blessed to live in Southern California, but if we spend too much time outdoors in the heat, we’re going to get sick,” said Torbati, who is the Levin/Gordon Chair in Emergency Medicine in Honor of Joel M. Geiderman, MD. “We have to limit how much time we spend outside.”

Click here to watch the entire segment on ABC 7, and click here to read the complete article from the Beverly Press/Park Labrea News.