Science & Technology US heatwave sees hospitals use body-bag ice treatment

An unrelenting heatwave continues to scorch much of the southern US, leaving more than 90 million Americans under a heat advisory.

In Phoenix, temperatures hit 110F (43C) for the 19th straight day, shattering the city’s previous record.

Officials said hospitals were using body bags filled with ice to cool down some patients who have overheated.

Temperatures were set to be dangerously high across the US all week.

An oppressive heat dome has settled over much of the US South, sending temperatures soaring from Florida to California.

More than 12,000 recordhigh temperatures have been recorded in the US so far this year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Arizona’s largest utility service said customers broke the record for most electricity used at once, as residents blasted air conditioners to escape the heat.

Persistent exposure to extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion, dizziness, fainting and headaches as blood pressure drops.

In Phoenix, 12 people have died after suffering effects due to the current excessive heat, officials said.

Doctors at the Valleywise Health Medical Center, told CNN the effects of the unrelenting heat were overwhelming the healthcare system.

“The hospital has not been this busy with overflow since a few peaks in the Covid pandemic,” emergency room doctor Frank LoVecchio told the outlet.

A hospital official said emergency room doctors are placing patients in body bags filled with ice, in extreme cases, in an attempt to cool them down.

In an interview with the health news outlet, Stat News, emergency physician Dr Geoff Comp, who helped develop the life-saving protocol, said body bags were ideal for treating heat stroke victims because they could cool someone twice as quickly as traditional methods.

Patients are immersed in the icefilled bags, which are waterproof and have enough room for doctors to perform some procedures, according to Stat News.

In Las Vegas, sweltering temperatures have stunned even veteran emergency responders. Las Vegas paramedic David Schilling estimates calls to emergency services have soared by 40%largely from tourists who are not yet acclimatised to the city.

People who are visiting often don’t realise how far they have to walk in the sun on the Las Vegas Strip, Mr Schilling said.

“It’s a very long distance and