Phoenix turns to ice-filled body bags to treat heatstroke as the south-west bakes
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By: Associated Press
June 5, 2024
The season’s first heatwave is already baking the south-west with triple-digit temperatures as firefighters in Phoenix – America’s hottest big city – employ new tactics in hopes of saving more lives in a county that saw 645 heat-related deaths last year.
Starting this season, the Phoenix fire department is immersing heatstroke victims in ice on the way to area hospitals. The medical technique, known as cold-water immersion, is familiar to marathon runners and military service members and has also recently been adopted by Phoenix hospitals as a go-to protocol, according to fire captain John Prato.
Prato demonstrated the method earlier this week outside the emergency department of Valleywise Health medical center in Phoenix, packing ice cubes inside an impermeable blue bag around a medical dummy representing a patient. He said the technique could dramatically lower body temperature in minutes.
“Just last week, we had a critical patient that we were able to bring back before we walked through the emergency room doors,” Prato said. “That’s our goal – to improve patient survivability.”
To read the full article, click here:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/05/phoenix-heat-stroke
