Austin ER doctor sees increase in people with heatstroke, exhaustion

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The state's electric grid is working to keep up with the Texas heat, and so are our bodies.

Dr. Ryan McCorkle, an emergency physician at St. David’s Medical Center, said people are having a hard time acclimating to the extreme heat so early in the summer.

“We are seeing more than we did in previous years just because the temperatures are higher, the climate is definitely changing and being above 100 a lot more,” said McCorkle.

While McCorkle is used to treating patients in this heat, there has been an increase.

“On a daily basis I’m seeing probably four or five ambulances with people who are completely dehydrated to high heart rate from construction sites or coming from the trail running.”

McCorkle said just a few minutes in the sun without hydrating can cause significant heat injures.

“I’ve see everything from kidney failure having to be admitted to the hospital, to people whose mental status is you can barely wake them up, because they’ve progressed on to heatstroke,” said McCorkle.

“We’ve had to do active cooling. Ice packs under armpits, groin. Run cold saline and try to get their mental status back to normal, because that is a dangerous, dangerous thing to get yourself into," he continued.