Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses
The number of patients with heat illness transported by ambulance has been gradually increasing due to global warming. In intense heat waves, it is crucial to accurately estimate the number of cases with heat illness for management of medical resources. Ambient temperature is an essential factor wit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1061135/full |
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| author | Akito Takada Sachiko Kodera Koji Suzuki Mio Nemoto Ryusuke Egawa Ryusuke Egawa Hiroyuki Takizawa Akimasa Hirata |
| author_facet | Akito Takada Sachiko Kodera Koji Suzuki Mio Nemoto Ryusuke Egawa Ryusuke Egawa Hiroyuki Takizawa Akimasa Hirata |
| author_sort | Akito Takada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The number of patients with heat illness transported by ambulance has been gradually increasing due to global warming. In intense heat waves, it is crucial to accurately estimate the number of cases with heat illness for management of medical resources. Ambient temperature is an essential factor with respect to the number of patients with heat illness, although thermophysiological response is a more relevant factor with respect to causing symptoms. In this study, we computed daily maximum core temperature increase and daily total amount of sweating in a test subject using a large-scale, integrated computational method considering the time course of actual ambient conditions as input. The correlation between the number of transported people and their thermophysiological temperature is evaluated in addition to conventional ambient temperature. With the exception of one prefecture, which features a different Köppen climate classification, the number of transported people in the remaining prefectures, with a Köppen climate classification of Cfa, are well estimated using either ambient temperature or computed core temperature increase and daily amount of sweating. For estimation using ambient temperature, an additional two parameters were needed to obtain comparable accuracy. Even using ambient temperature, the number of transported people can be estimated if the parameters are carefully chosen. This finding is practically useful for the management of ambulance allocation on hot days as well as public enlightenment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T09:41:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c60d2bf172494fa6b799b94fd57cdfdb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T09:41:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-c60d2bf172494fa6b799b94fd57cdfdb2023-02-17T09:06:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-02-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.10611351061135Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responsesAkito Takada0Sachiko Kodera1Koji Suzuki2Mio Nemoto3Ryusuke Egawa4Ryusuke Egawa5Hiroyuki Takizawa6Akimasa Hirata7Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, JapanArchitecture, Design, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Management Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, JapanSchool of Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Tokyo, JapanCyberscience Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, JapanCyberscience Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, JapanDepartment of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, JapanThe number of patients with heat illness transported by ambulance has been gradually increasing due to global warming. In intense heat waves, it is crucial to accurately estimate the number of cases with heat illness for management of medical resources. Ambient temperature is an essential factor with respect to the number of patients with heat illness, although thermophysiological response is a more relevant factor with respect to causing symptoms. In this study, we computed daily maximum core temperature increase and daily total amount of sweating in a test subject using a large-scale, integrated computational method considering the time course of actual ambient conditions as input. The correlation between the number of transported people and their thermophysiological temperature is evaluated in addition to conventional ambient temperature. With the exception of one prefecture, which features a different Köppen climate classification, the number of transported people in the remaining prefectures, with a Köppen climate classification of Cfa, are well estimated using either ambient temperature or computed core temperature increase and daily amount of sweating. For estimation using ambient temperature, an additional two parameters were needed to obtain comparable accuracy. Even using ambient temperature, the number of transported people can be estimated if the parameters are carefully chosen. This finding is practically useful for the management of ambulance allocation on hot days as well as public enlightenment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1061135/fullambient heatambulance dispatchheat adaptationheat illnessglobal warming |
| spellingShingle | Akito Takada Sachiko Kodera Koji Suzuki Mio Nemoto Ryusuke Egawa Ryusuke Egawa Hiroyuki Takizawa Akimasa Hirata Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses Frontiers in Public Health ambient heat ambulance dispatch heat adaptation heat illness global warming |
| title | Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| title_full | Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| title_fullStr | Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| title_short | Estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of Japan: Correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| title_sort | estimation of the number of heat illness patients in eight metropolitan prefectures of japan correlation with ambient temperature and computed thermophysiological responses |
| topic | ambient heat ambulance dispatch heat adaptation heat illness global warming |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1061135/full |
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