CREMONA – At the end, summer 2022 was the hottest of the last fifty years. Thanks to the numerous heat waves that have hit the country and our territory, it has been registered on a national level an increase in overall mortality in the population from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory causes, which in the warmer months was close to 21 per cent compared to seasonal forecasts.
In 2022 the Department of Internal Medicine of the Cremona Hospital – directed by Matteo Giorgi Pierfranceschi – found an increase in early diagnoses of gallbladder stones (three times higher than the previous year) and acute renal failure (16% more), while the number of hospitalized patients with urinary system infections remained almost stable. “The increase in temperatures has had a relative impact on the patients being treated in our ward, who have been able to cope with the situation”, says Nicoletta Rizzi (Internal Medicine specialist).
Doctors Matteo Giorgi Pierfranceschi, Nicoletta Rizzi, Abramo Bazza
DEHYDRATION AND RISKS
The increase in diagnoses for urinary infections, stones and kidney failure “largely depends on the reduced hydration of patients – underlines Rizzi – especially for those who follow particularly diuretic drug therapies, to be remodeled according to climatic conditions. Furthermore, with the heat all types of infections tend to worsen: in the elderly patient there are developmental risks of a certain importance, which can lead to septicemia or the onset of biliary colic ».
Any advice on all? “Drink lots of water, even when the stimulus of thirst decreases with the drop in temperatures.”
PREPARE FOR AUTUMN
In all likelihood, even the arrival of autumn will not happen gradually. From the heat of these days you could suddenly go to much lower temperatures. As he explains Abraham Bazza, (specialist of Internal Medicine). «In the event of sudden temperature changes, our body needs 7-10 days to adapt. For this reason, people with chronic diseases must pay particular attention ».
