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Complete Health Indicator Report of Hospitalization and Emergency Department Visits for Heat Related Illnesses

Definition

Count or rate of hospitalization and emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses for a defined population in a specified time interval. Cases were selected using the following ICD-9 codes through September 2015: 992.0 - 992.9, E900.0, or E900.9 as a primary diagnosis, injury cause, or other diagnosis for occurrences during the months of May through September. Cases were excluded if a man-made source of heat (ICD-9 E900.1) was listed. Beginning October 2015, heat-related illness was defined by ICD-10 codes T67, X30, and X32 (exclusion W92).

Numerator

Count of inpatient hospitalizations or emergency department visits for heat related illnesses among a defined population during the months of May through September.

Denominator

Defined population in a specified time interval.

Why Is This Important?

The relationship between extreme heat and increased daily morbidity is well established. This indicator captures inpatient hospital admissions or emergency department visits for heat-related illness or hyperthermia.

How Are We Doing?

Average annual temperatures in New Jersey have increased about 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit (F) between the period of 1971-2000 and the period of 2001-2010. In New Jersey, the total number of days over 90 degrees F has increased by roughly 36 percent since 1949. On average, based on data from 16 weather station locations spread across New Jersey, the number of days over 90 degrees F have increased from about 17 to 23 per year. There are however considerable temperature differences between north and south, coastal and inland, and urban and rural sections of New Jersey. Extreme heat events are predicted to increase in both intensity and duration in future years. Currently, New Jersey generally experiences two heat waves per year with temperatures exceeding 90 F, and the heat waves last about four days. By the 2020s, it is projected that New Jersey will annually experience three to four heat waves lasting four to five days each. Annual number of days over 90 degrees F are projected to rise from an average of 14 days in 2000 to 23-29 days by the 2020s.

What Is Being Done?

The NJDOH is using data collected from emergency departments and hospitals to identify and track excessive heat related illnesses among New Jersey's residents. NJDOH will use the information to implement targeted excessive heat event notification and actions that focus surveillance and relief efforts on high risk populations or communities. Appropriate actions include: establishing enhanced real-time syndromic surveillance systems to alert public health officials about increases in heat-related illnesses; enhancing real-time public notification regarding extreme heat events through the web, broadcast media, and social media; and enhancing access to cooling centers.


Related Indicators

Related Risk Factors Indicators:


Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:



Data Tables


Heat-related Illnesses, Monthly Counts of Hospitalizations, May Through September, New Jersey, 2017-2021

Years: 1990,2000,2010-2021Months of the YearNumber of Monthly Hospitalizations
Record Count: 25
2017May**
2017June25
2017July30
2017August11
2017September**
2018May10
2018June12
2018July63
2018August45
2018September20
2019May**
2019June11
2019July81
2019August23
2019September**
2020May**
2020June23
2020July58
2020August29
2020September**
2021May**
2021June58
2021July52
2021August45
2021September**

Data Notes

** Rates and counts are suppressed if fewer than 10 cases were reported in a specific category.

Data Source

Office of Health Care Quality and Assessment, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/healthcarequality/]


Heat-related Illnesses, Annual Age-Adjusted Hospitalization Rates, by Year, May through September, New Jersey, 2000-2021

YearRate per 100,000 ResidentsNumer- atorDenom- inator
Record Count: 22
20000.80708,430,921
20011.501308,489,469
20022.001798,544,115
20031.101018,583,481
20040.70648,611,530
20051.501428,621,837
20061.701548,623,721
20071.00908,636,043
20081.301178,663,398
20090.70628,707,739
20102.101988,738,498
20111.401348,769,272
20121.901838,769,272
20132.001938,833,625
20140.76738,938,175
20151.301258,958,013
20161.701718,944,469
20170.75779,005,644
20181.631508,908,520
20191.221308,882,190
20201.161188,882,371
20211.601649,267,130

Data Notes

Incidence rates per 100,000 population are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (18 age groups: <5, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85+).

Data Source

Office of Health Care Quality and Assessment, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/healthcarequality/]


Heat-related Illnesses Age-Adjusted Hospitalization Rates per 100,000, by County, New Jersey, May through September, 2017-2021

CountyAnnual Age-Adjusted Hospitalization Rates per 100,000NoteNumer- atorDenom- inator
Record Count: 22
Atlantic2.28341,336,928
Bergen0.77454,701,513
Burlington1.63412,250,194
Camden2.26652,554,848
Cape May2.3810465,359
Cumberland2.3219753,672
Essex1.47664,062,445
Gloucester0.63101,472,972
Hudson1.13393,414,224
Hunterdon1.3211628,865
Mercer1.99421,865,111
Middlesex0.77354,181,088
Monmouth1.19463,130,235
Morris0.77242,487,834
Ocean1.56603,070,015
Passaic1.24332,536,242
Salem2.8510315,281
Somerset**< 10 cases1,670,508
Sussex1.2810708,514
Union0.78242,805,808
Warren**< 10 cases534,199
New Jersey1.6063944,945,855

Data Notes

** Rates and counts are suppressed if fewer than 10 cases were reported in a specific category.

Data Source

Office of Health Care Quality and Assessment, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/healthcarequality/]


Heat-related Illnesses, Age-Adjusted Rates of Emergency Department Visits, by County, New Jersey, May through September, 2021

CountyAge-Adjusted Rate of ED Visits per 100,000 ResidentsNoteNumer- atorDenom- inator
Record Count: 22
Atlantic18.0647274,966
Bergen7.0365953,819
Burlington11.4650464,269
Camden14.2680523,771
Cape May**<10 cases955,661
Cumberland22.0234153,627
Essex6.6561854,917
Gloucester8.2625304,477
Hudson5.7942702,463
Hunterdon9.0112129,924
Mercer14.7154385,898
Middlesex6.1553860,807
Monmouth10.5168645,354
Morris8.4645510,981
Ocean14.1585648,998
Passaic8.5844518,117
Salem**<10 cases65,046
Somerset5.8320345,647
Sussex14.5821145,543
Union7.2244572,114
Warren16.3817110,731
New Jersey9.428829,267,130

Data Notes

Incidence rates per 100,000 population are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population (18 age groups: <5, 5-9, ... , 80-84, 85+). ** Rates and counts are suppressed if fewer than 10 cases were reported in a specific category.

Data Source

Office of Health Care Quality and Assessment, New Jersey Department of Health, [http://www.nj.gov/health/healthcarequality/]

References and Community Resources

CDC, Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety. [https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/] CDC, Extreme Heat: Tips for Preventing Heat-Related Illness. [http://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heattips.html] Ready.gov Heat Safety [https://www.ready.gov/heat] National Weather Service, Weather Fatalities. [https://www.weather.gov/hazstat/]

Page Content Updated On 07/27/2023, Published on 07/27/2023
The information provided above is from the Department of Health's NJSHAD web site (https://nj.gov/health/shad). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Fri, 29 March 2024 4:02:49 from Department of Health, New Jersey State Health Assessment Data Web site: https://nj.gov/health/shad ".

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