Comparison between heat stroke emergency transport data and hospital medical data

Abstract

Background: Emergency transport data for heat stroke is widely used as epidemiological data to analyze heat stroke incidence. However, since these data are recorded by ambulance teams at the time of patient transfer to the hospital, they may not align with a definitive diagnosis made by a doctor. This introduces the possibility that some patients transported for suspected heat stroke did not actually have the condition. Additionally, the location where patients were picked up by ambulance might differ from the place where they were exposed to heat, and some heat stroke cases reach emergency departments through means other than ambulance transport. To assess the accuracy of emergency transport data, we compared it with hospital medical records.

Methods: Data on emergency transports for heat stroke to Y Hospital between 2010 and 2022 were provided by the Y Fire Department and compared with medical records from Y Hospital.

Results: Of the 320 people transported by ambulance for suspected heat stroke, 222 were definitively diagnosed with heat stroke by a doctor. Of these, 63 cases involved patients who had been exposed to heat at locations different from where they were transported, including 30 from residences, 15 from roads, 9 from public places, 0 from workplaces, and 9 from other locations. Additionally, 631 heatstroke patients visited the emergency department of Y Hospital by means other than emergency transport.

Conclusion: There are instances where patients transported for suspected heat stroke were not definitively diagnosed with the condition. Furthermore, discrepancies were observed between the pickup location and the actual site of heat exposure. These findings suggest limitations in relying solely on emergency transport data for analyzing heat stroke cases.