Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41299621›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Heatwaves and emergency department utilisation in Queensland: a 10-year retrospective study.

Richard C Franklin, Amy E Peden, Jemma C King, Blesson Varghese, Nicole Mandalios, Luke Lawton, Michael T Meehan, Kenneth Koon-Ho Wong, Hannah M Mason

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Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Richard C FranklinDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. richard.franklin@jcu.edu.au.
Amy E PedenDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Jemma C KingDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Blesson VargheseSchool of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Nicole MandaliosDisaster Management Branch, Queensland Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Luke LawtonDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Michael T MeehanDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
Kenneth Koon-Ho WongRural Fire Service Queensland, Queensland Fire Department, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Hannah M MasonDiscipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlobally, temperatures are increasing due to the effects of climate change. Extreme heat is a public health threat, increasing the burden on health systems during heatwaves, and the days following. Australia is susceptible to extreme heat and must plan accordingly to ensure health systems can respond as heatwave conditions increase in frequency, severity, and duration. This study investigates the impact of heatwaves on Emergency Department (ED) presentations in the state of Queensland, Australia, considering key demographic, clinical, and temporal factors.

methodsWarm-season (November-March) ED presentations (2010-19) obtained from Queensland Health at the postcode level were analysed in relation to heatwaves. Heatwaves were defined using the Excess Heat Factor, a metric designed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Quasi-Poisson regression models produced incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to quantify differences in ED demand between heatwave and non-heatwave days. Subgroup analyses were conducted by heatwave severity, rurality, sex, age, primary diagnosis, triage category and financial year.

resultsThere was a 10.47% (IRR

conclusionsEmergency departments must prepare for higher numbers of people presenting during heatwaves. The variability in impact across different demographic, clinical, and temporal factors underscores the complex relationship between heatwaves and health system demand. As climate change intensifies heatwaves, future research, including prospective studies, will be needed to provide essential evidence to inform public health planning.

Indexed as

Emergency Service, HospitalExtreme HeatAdolescentAdultAgedChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedQueenslandRetrospective StudiesSeasonsTriageClimate changeEmergency medicineHeatwavesPublic healthQueensland

Identifiers

PMID41299621
PMCPMC12763879

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.