Impact of Extreme Heat Events on Emergency Department Visits in North Carolina (2007–2011)

Abstract Background Short-term associations between extreme heat events and adverse health outcomes are well-established in epidemiologic studies. However, the use of different exposure definitions across studies has limited our understanding of extreme heat characteristics that are most important for specific health outcomes or subpopulations. Methods Logic regression is a statistical learning method for constructing decision trees based on Boolean combinations of binary predictors. We describe how logic regression can be utilized as a data-driven approach to identify extreme heat exposure definitions using health outcome data. We evaluated the performance of the proposed algorithm in a simulation study, as well as in a 20-year time-series analysis of extreme heat and emergency department visits for 12 outcomes in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Results For the Atlanta case study, our novel application of logic regression identified extreme heat exposure definitions that were associated with several heat-sensitive disease outcomes (e.g., fluid and electrolyte imbalance, renal diseases, ischemic stroke, and hypertension). Exposures were often characterized by extreme apparent minimum temperature or maximum temperature over multiple days. The simulation study also demonstrated that logic regression can successfully identify exposures of different lags and duration structures when statistical power is sufficient. Conclusion Logic regression is a useful tool for identifying important characteristics of extreme heat exposures for adverse health outcomes, which may help improve future heat warning systems and response plans.

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Reducing Emergency Department Visits for Acute Gastrointestinal Illnesses in North Carolina (USA) by Extending Community Water Service

Environmental Health Perspectives ◽

10.1289/ehp160 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 124 (10) ◽

pp. 1583-1591 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Nicholas B. DeFelice ◽

Jill E. Johnston ◽

Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

North Carolina ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Water Service ◽

Community Water ◽

Gastrointestinal Illnesses

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Interdecadal Variations of Persistent Extreme Heat Events in Eastern China Under Global Warming

10.21203/rs.3.rs-565992/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Naihui Zang ◽

Junhu Zhao ◽

Pengcheng Yan ◽

Han Zhang ◽

Shankai Tang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Warming ◽

21St Century ◽

South China ◽

North China ◽

Eastern China ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

Maximum Temperature ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

June July ◽

Heat Events

Abstract Persistent extreme heat events (PEHEs) exert a more negative impact on society, including agriculture, plant phenology, power production and human health, compared to general EHEs. The temporal and spatial characteristics of summer PEHEs in eastern China were analysed based on a daily maximum temperature dataset from 759 stations over the period of 1961–2018. The results show the following: Persistent distributions of PEHEs show that they are characterized by an exponential decay with a drop in the decay rate. In terms of spatial distribution, there is an apparent regional difference in the duration of PEHEs. North China is dominated by multi-frequency and short-duration EHEs, while South China is the opposite. PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai region mainly occur in June-July but mostly in July and August in South China. Strongly responding to global warming, the frequency and duration of PEHEs in North China have increased since the 1990s. However, the frequency of PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai region has shown opposite trends in June-July since the beginning of the 21st century. Affected by the atmospheric circulations, the regional differences in PEHE frequency are also apparent. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai area have shown an increasing trend in August. The short-term PEHEs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and South China increased rapidly in the 2000s, while long-term PEHEs increased in the 2010s. This study implies that attention should be paid to not only the frequency of EH days but also to the persistence of EHE which is a key characteristic of damaging EH.

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Mapping vulnerability to extreme heat events: lessons from metropolitan Chicago

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management ◽

10.1080/09640568.2018.1462475 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (6) ◽

pp. 1065-1088 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bev Wilson ◽

Arnab Chakraborty

Keyword(s):

Extreme Heat ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

Mapping Vulnerability ◽

Heat Events

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Extreme Heat

10.1093/obo/9780199874002-0234 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Heat Wave ◽

Global Climate ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

The United States ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

Local Climate ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

The World ◽

Heat Events

Extreme heat events (EHEs) are periods of high temperatures and humidity that are considered to be unusual for a specific geographic location. For example, in 1995 an extended heat wave in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States was blamed for the deaths of 550 citizens. Most of the dead were elderly, poor individuals who may not have realized that heat could kill, or who had no means of mitigating the rising temperatures in their homes or any way to escape to a cooler environment. In 2003, Europe was subjected to an EHE that is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of 70,000, with 15,000 of those deaths in Paris, France. “Extreme heat” is a relative term. Individuals adapt to their local climate, so it is difficult to use an absolute number to describe the conditions meteorologists consider a relative change from past conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines extreme heat as “summertime temperatures that are substantially hotter and/or more humid than average for location at that time of year.” According to the Public Health Institute’s Center for Climate Change, the state of California defines extreme heat days as those days above the 98th percentile of maximum temperatures based on 1961–1990 data for a specific location. Crucial to understanding extreme heat events is the collection of data about temperature and humidity. The US Global Change Research Program provides heat wave data spanning 1961 to 2018. The site links to a variety of programs related to global climate modeling. The National Resources Defense Council is a nongovernmental organization that has excellent maps which show change over time in the frequency of extreme heat events that overlay the human impact of these events. The National Centers for Environmental Information provides graphic data of current weather conditions along with lists of significant climate anomalies. The site has links to weather records and tools. All of these sites rely on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their data. There are equivalent agencies all over the world. The World Meteorological Organization, part of the United Nations, is also a valuable resource for data.

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