Impact of the 2009 Melbourne heatwave on a major public hospital

Steven James Linstrom, V Nagalingam, Harvey Newnham

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37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the week following the onset of the 2009 heatwave in Melbourne, Australia, The Alfred Hospital observed a significant increase in total hospital admissions (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.11, P = 0.046), emergency department presentations (IRR 1.15, P <0.01) and general medical admissions (IRR 1.81, P <0.01). Under the general medical unit there was a rise in the number of deaths (IRR 3.9, P <0.01), and patients with a broad range of disorders, particularly of the endocrine/metabolic (IRR 2.2, P <0.01), circulatory (IRR 1.9, P <0.01) and genitourinary (IRR 2.6, P <0.01) systems. ? 2013 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal ? 2013 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1246 - 1250
Number of pages5
JournalInternal Medicine Journal
Volume43
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

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