It has already been more than three consecutive weeks that the thermometer has not dropped below 43 ° C in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Extreme heat which is responsible for many burns in people who have simply been in contact with the ground, indicates CNN.
Of the 45 beds at the Arizona Burn Center in Phoenix, one-third are occupied by people who have suffered burn injuries from falling to the floor. An occupancy rate that rises to 50% in the center’s intensive care unit.
“Summer is our busiest season, so we expect these kinds of things to happen. But it’s really unusual, whether in the number of patients or the severity of the injuries,” said Kevin Foster, director of emergency services at the center. “Asphalt, pavement, concrete and sidewalks in Arizona are sometimes 82°C,” he continues.
A contact between the skin and the ground of a “fraction of a second” is enough to be the victim of a “fairly deep burn”, continues the director. For people left in direct contact with the ground for ten to twenty minutes, “the skin is completely destroyed” and the damage is often deep. Some have third degree burns. The latter will have to undergo multiple surgeries as well as years of reconstructive surgery.
Dr. Franck LoVecchio, emergency physician at Valleywise Health Medical Center in Phoenix, reviews the different people he has treated so far this year. There was this elderly lady who fell out of her wheelchair. Almost instantly, she burned her legs. He then cites homeless people who burned themselves after resting on a sidewalk. Or this man who was gardening and who, exhausted, fell on the concrete. “He’s burned in so many places that he will need skin grafts on several parts of his body. »
He also takes the example of paramedics, forced to kneel to the ground in order to assist a patient.
Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary, warns pet owners, who can also burn themselves during walks. She advises taking them out early in the morning or late at night, keeping them on grass as much as possible, as even sandy areas and dirt can absorb heat from the sun and burn their pads.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 5,000 heat records have been broken or equaled in the United States in the past 30 days. Temperatures that attract tourists. Death Valley National Park, voted the hottest place on Earth, attracts sightseers hoping to see record heat.
