An inside look at heat injury prevention: Keeping our troops safe
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Health Surveillance, Analysis, and Insight for Action DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY ARMED FORCES HEALTH SURVEILLANCE BRANCH AFHSB #BeatTheHeat Q&A: Keeping our troops safe An inside look at heat injury prevention
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Transcript of An inside look at heat injury prevention: Keeping our troops safe
H e a l t h S u r v e i l l a n c e , A n a l y s i s , a n d I n s i g h t f o r A c t i o n
D E F E N S E H E A LT H A G E N C Y AR MED FO R C ES H EALTH SU RVEILLAN C E BR AN C H AFHSB
#BeatTheHeat Q&A: Keeping our troops safe
An inside look at heat injury prevention
Heat Injury Prevention for U.S. Armed Forces
As temperatures begin to rise, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) understands heat-related injuries are a significant threat to the health and operational effectiveness of service members. The information provided will help service members beat the heat before it beats them.
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Protecting our Military
To help protect soldiers from debilitating heat illness, AFHSB discusses what service members and their families need to know about heat exhaustion and sun safety. Questions about how to stay safe in extreme heat were submitted by the public via the AFHSB’s Facebook page. The Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR) looked at these injuries in the March 2016 (Volume 23, Number 3) issue to educate individuals about the importance of heat illness awareness to protect themselves and others.
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What causes Heat Injury?
Heat injury occurs when normal body temperature is overcome by factors such as high ambient air temperature, exercise and the inability to lose body heat. The body can lose heat by radiation and convection when surrounding air temperature drops lower than the body temperature. When that air temperature exceeds the body temperature, the body absorbs radiant heat from the air, so the only way to lose body heat is via the evaporation of sweat.
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Why does excess body heat need to be lost?
It is important to note physical exercise generates excess body heat which needs to be lost to preserve body temperature.
Keep in mind excessive clothing can interfere with the body’s ability to lose heat through radiation, convection, and sweat evaporation.
During a heat wave, it is best to wear lightweight, light-colored clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Dehydration can also result in reduction or cessation of sweating.
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#BeatTheHeat
Who is at special risk of heat injury?
The risks of heat injury, particularly in association with hot weather and physical exertion, are higher for individuals who have:
Not become acclimatized to warm weather
Are not physically fit
Are overweight
And those who are over the age of 40
Other potential risk factors include a history of previous heat injury, certain medications, recent alcohol use, and sleep deprivation.
During the most recent three years, incident cases of heat stroke among military personnel ranged from 322 to 417 per year during a surveillance period of 2011 to 2015. For “other heat injuries” – that includes heat exhaustion and “unspecified effects of heat” – the range was 1,680 to 1,933 per year during the five-year surveillance period.
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How was heat injury incidents identified among service members in this report?
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AFHSB’s Defense Medical Surveillance System (DMSS) is a relational database that documents military and medical experiences of service members throughout their careers. The records were searched to identify all medical encounters and notifiable medical event reports that included primary (first-listed) or secondary (second-listed) diagnoses of heat stroke or “other heat injury” (heat exhaustion and “unspecified effects of heat”).
Who is at the greatest risk for heat injury in the U.S. military?
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Individuals involved in military duties such as training and operations are at the most risk for heat injury or recreational activities that include sustained physical exertion in warm weather. Moreover, the incidence rates of heat stroke were higher among males than females in the military. Check out the infographic.
Is there an age group most at risk of heat injury in the military?
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Yes. Service members younger than 20 years of age are most at risk of heat injury. In fact, many young service members, including those in their 20s, are most likely to participate in vigorous physical activities as part of basic recruit training, advanced individual training, and other outdoor training for combat situations.
Ready to learn more?
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Read “Get serious about Heat Injury Prevention: A FB Q&A on extreme heat & sun safety” and check out our #BeatTheHeat Twitter Chat Recap: A Heat Injury Prevention Guide for Extreme Heat for complete answers on how you can beat the heat.
About the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
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The Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR) is a publication produced by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB). The MSMR provides evidence-based estimates of the incidence, distribution, impact and trends of illness and injuries among U.S. military members and associated populations. Most reports in the MSMR are based on summaries of medical administrative data that are routinely provided to the AFHSB and integrated into the Defense Medical Surveillance System for health surveillance purposes. You can subscribe to the MSMR today and follow us on Twitter to learn more about heat injuries and prevention tips.
