TL/DR –
Heatwaves are causing escalating surface burn injuries in Southwest cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, mainly affecting young children, older adults and homeless people. Studies show that surfaces like asphalt, concrete or playground equipment can become dangerously hot and cause burns within seconds. Hospitals in the region have reported rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths due to such burns, and are urging for measures to protect vulnerable groups and to redesign urban surfaces for less heat absorption.
Ron Falk’s Heatwave Experience
Ron Falk is recovering from extensive skin grafting after collapsing on the hot asphalt during a heat wave in Phoenix. A year on, he’s at a medical respite center getting physical therapy to manage a bacterial infection in his right leg.
Heatwave Impacts
As temperatures in Southwest cities reach new summertime highs, hot sidewalks and playgrounds become hazardous. Surface burns occur when skin contacts surfaces with temperatures of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The young, elderly, and homeless are particularly vulnerable.
Burn Victims in Hospitals
Since June, Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix, the largest burn center in the Southwest, has witnessed 50 hospitalizations due to burns, with four fatalities. Most patients were from Phoenix. In the summer of 2022, 136 patients were admitted with surface burns, a significant increase from the previous year, and among them, 20% were homeless.
Heatwave Effects in Las Vegas
In Las Vegas, a city also familiar with >triple-digit summertime highs, 22 people were hospitalized for burns in June at the University Medical Center’s Lions Burn Care Center. Surface burn victims here typically include children hurt by hot surfaces, adults who fell on hot sidewalks, and elderly people who collapsed due to heatstroke.
Heat-Related Death Toll
Thermal injuries were among the main causes of last year’s 645 heat-related deaths in Phoenix’s Maricopa County. Many patients, like an 82-year-old woman found on hot pavement, also suffered potentially fatal heat stroke.
Recovery and Prevention
Recovery from skin burns can be lengthy and painful, often requiring multiple skin grafts and surgeries. Patients like Bob Woolley who suffered second- and third-degree burns after stumbling onto a hot rock garden in Phoenix spent several months at the Valleywise burn center. Others, particularly children, were victims of hot surfaces in park areas. Ariane Middel, an urban climatologist at Arizona State University, suggests changing infrastructural materials as most are heat sponges.
Pet Dangers
Hot concrete and asphalt also pose burn risks for pets. Vets often recommend dog booties for outdoor walks in summer or keeping pets in cooler grassy areas. Phoenix bans dogs from hiking trails on excessive heat days.
Hope and Determination
Falk, who lost a leg due to his burn injuries, is hopeful of regaining part of his old life. Despite the long road ahead, he refuses to consider himself ‘useless’.
—
Read More US News; Arizona News