Effects of temperature and heat waves on emergency department visits and emergency ambulance dispatches in Pudong New Area, China: a time series analysis

Table 3 Heat wave risks on emergency department visits and emergency ambulance dispatches under different definitions in Pudong, May-September (2011–2013) ^a

Medical emergency activities	Intensity	≥2 days duration		≥3 days duration
		No. of heat waves (days)	Percent changes (%) (95% CI)	No. of heat waves (days)	Percent changes (%) (95% CI)
Emergency department visits	≥90th percentile	17 (93)	2.62 (1.78 ~ 3.46)	15 (89)	0.95 (0.22 ~ 1.69)
	≥95th percentile	11 (44)	−1.73 (−2.59 ~ −0.87)	5 (32)	−9.67 (−10.49 ~ −8.84)
	≥99th percentile	3 (9)	−10.21(−12.10 ~ −8.29)	1 (5)	12.46 (10.33 ~ 14.62)
Emergency ambulance dispatches	≥90th percentile	17 (93)	4.85 (1.42 ~ 8.39)	15 (89)	3.94 (0.88 ~ 7.10)
Emergency ambulance dispatches	≥95th percentile	11 (44)	−2.48 (−6.04 ~ 1.22)	5 (32)	−2.69 (−6.40 ~ 1.16)
	≥99th percentile	3 (9)	10.22 (1.44 ~ 19.76)	1 (5)	3.02 (−4.68 ~ 11.35)

^amodel controlled for day of the year, day of week, calendar year and temperature as a spline term. Percent changes (95% CI) in estimated risks on heat-wave days compared with non-heat-wave days were presented. Daily mean temperature of percentiles were 90th (29.67°C), 95th (30.70°C) and 99th (33.05°C), respectively.

ISSN: 1476-069X