Heat-related illness. Plan ahead to protect your patients.

Environmental heat illnesses range from irksome to devastating. People at particular risk are the elderly, the chronically mentally ill, the community-dwelling developmentally delayed, people without social contacts, athletes, and those without access to air-conditioning. Because heat-related deaths are preventable, community-wide response to heat emergencies, together with individual and community education programs, could greatly decrease morbidity and mortality.