Heat Wave Morbidity and Mortality, Milwaukee, Wis, 1999 vs 1995: An Improved Response?

This study examined whether differences in heat alone, as opposed to public health interventions or other factors, accounted for the reduction in heat-related deaths and paramedic emergency medical service (EMS) runs between 1995 and 1999 during 2 heat waves occurring in Milwaukee, Wis. Two previous...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican journal of public health (1971) Vol. 92; no. 5; pp. 830 - 833
Main Authors Weisskopf, Marc G, Anderson, Henry A, Foldy, Seth, Hanrahan, Lawrence P, Blair, Kathleen, Torok, Thomas J, Rumm, Peter D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.05.2002
American Public Health Association
American Journal of Public Health 2002
Subjects
Age Distribution
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Analysis. Health state
Biological and medical sciences
Cause of Death - trends
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Death Certificates
Epidemiology
Female
General aspects
Heat Exhaustion - mortality
Heat Stress Disorders - mortality
Heat Stroke - mortality
Heat waves
Hot Temperature - adverse effects
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Milwaukee County
Morbidity
Mortality
Poisson Distribution
Public Health Practice
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Research and Practice
Seasons
Urban Health
USA
Weather
Wisconsin - epidemiology
United States
North America
America
Wisconsin
Climatic condition
Human
Heat
Health
Mortality
Trend
Epidemiology
Morbidity
Public health
Climate variation
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Summary:This study examined whether differences in heat alone, as opposed to public health interventions or other factors, accounted for the reduction in heat-related deaths and paramedic emergency medical service (EMS) runs between 1995 and 1999 during 2 heat waves occurring in Milwaukee, Wis. Two previously described prediction models were adapted to compare expected and observed heat-related morbidity and mortality in 1999 based on the city's 1995 experience. Both models showed that heat-related deaths and EMS runs in 1999 were at least 49% lower than levels predicted by the 1995 relation between heat and heat-related deaths or EMS runs. Reductions in heat-related morbidity and mortality in 1999 were not attributable to differences in heat levels alone. Changes in public health preparedness and response may also have contributed to these reductions.
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Requests for reprints should be sent to Marc G. Weisskopf, PhD, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (e-mail: mweissko@hsph.harvard.edu).
Peer Reviewed
M. G. Weisskopf was the lead investigator and had a principal role in all phases of the study. H. A. Anderson, S. Foldy, and P. D. Rumm participated in the design and conception of the work as well as data interpretation. L. P. Hanrahan participated in the data analysis and interpretation. K. Blair participated in data collection and interpretation. T. J. Török and S. Foldy participated in the writing.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.92.5.830