France is suffocating, and its emergency services, already under water due to a shortage of medical personnel, are also running out of steam. After hitting the Atlantic coast, the heat wave moved east on Tuesday July 19. The 40°C were reached, even exceeded in Paris, Rouen or Beauvais.
Scorching waves that put the body to the test. In the Paris region, the Avicenne hospital (Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris) is experiencing a “15% increase in emergency room attendance” In a week. “What we see are mostly cases of dehydration, especially among the most vulnerable people, explains Frédéric Adnet, head of the Emergencies-SAMU service of the establishment. These are mostly people over the age of 70, isolated, who have cognitive disorders that do not allow them to drink on their own. These people are referred to us by retirement homes, nursing homes [établissements d’hébergement pour personnes âgées dépendantes] or relatives. » The SAMU also had to take charge of “some heatstroke”but according to Professor Adnet, the hospital is nevertheless not overwhelmed by an unmanageable influx of patients.
The Rennes University Hospital, near a coastal area popular with tourists, recorded an increase in “30% of SAMU activity” and of “10% to 20%” that of emergencies since Sunday. “We mainly receive young people who feel unwell following exposure to the sun, which is managed fairly quickly”, confides Louis Soulat, head of emergencies. He nevertheless notes a slight influx of elderly people “in decompensation” cardiac after several days of strong heat as well as “serious trauma accentuated by alcohol consumption”. Reasons which require hospitalization and which are added to the “scarcity” hospital emergency beds.
But even if he observes an increase in the number of patients who flock to the CHU in the summer, Professor Soulat notes a drop in the number of nursing home residents admitted. “It shows that what has been done since 2003 works,” he comments. An observation also shared by Frédéric Adnet: “I think there has been a major impact from the prevention campaigns. People have understood the gestures and know how to protect themselves. They know the air-conditioned places where to take refuge such as shopping centers, cinemas. »
The head of the Avicenna emergency department nevertheless remains cautious. “What is worrying is rather the fact that 25% of our beds are currently closed. Admittedly, we are not overwhelmed, but we still have a large crowd and patients in dehydration, or who suffer from heatstroke, and who cannot be extended., he regrets. Reindeer, “13% of our beds are closedsays Louis Soulat. We should reach our peak attendance between the 1er and August 15, since several emergency services in the region are closing from next week. »
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