Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41964828›Full record

ArticleJournal of epidemiology and global health2026

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Heat-Related Illness Among Pilgrims During the Hajj Season 2024: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Elbagir A Elfaki, Hatem A Sembawa, Ahmed Hassan Badrek Alamodi, Nahla H Hariri, Majed S Obaid, Amar Mohammad A Alkhotani, Ismail A Alghamdi, Muhammad Irfanullah Siddiqui, Heba M Adly, Mohammed A Garout and 17 more

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Article in Journal of epidemiology and global health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

27 authors.

Elbagir A ElfakiSurgery Department, King Faisal Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Hatem A SembawaDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0204-2696
Ahmed Hassan Badrek AlamodiDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5265-3394
Nahla H HaririDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Majed S ObaidDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Amar Mohammad A AlkhotaniDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8376-7059
Ismail A AlghamdiDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad Irfanullah SiddiquiDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia. irfan7255@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8610-5388
Heba M AdlyDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia. hmhasan@uqu.edu.sa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9222-9149
Mohammed A GaroutDepartment of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health care, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia. magarout@uqu.edu.sa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1317-1186
Adeeb A BulkhiInternal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5857-7097
Hani M AlmoallimInternal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Altaf Ahmed AbdulkhaliqBiochemistry Department, ⁠ College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8148-1103
Saleh A K SalehDirectorate of Institutional Excellence, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, 21442, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9522-9198
Aous S AlhazmiOccupational Medicine specialist, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman T TaeybFamily Medicine, Ministry of Health, Makkah, 24245, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed J BasnawiCollege of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Mohammed, Saudi Arabia.
Ammar A AbuSeerIntensive Care Department, Alnoor Specialist Hospital, Makkah Health Cluster, Makkah, 24242, Saudi Arabia.
Hassan H Abu RokbahGeneral Surgery Department, Alnoor Specialist Hospital, Makkah Health Cluster, Makkah, 24242, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5186-6109
Jaffar A Al-TawfiqSpecialty Internal Medicine and Quality Department, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, 31311, Saudi Arabia.
Maher N AlandiyjanyDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Rania Abubaker BagabirBasic Science Department, Faculty of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.
Nizar S BawahabDepartment of General Surgery, King Faisal Hospital, Makkah, 24236, Saudi Arabia.
Ghadah AlsalehGlobal Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, 11176, Saudi Arabia.
Hala AljishiGlobal Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, 11176, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad A AlamriGlobal Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, 11176, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7336-162X
Anas A KhanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11461, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5075-7392

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHeat-related illnesses (HRIs) remain a significant health concern during mass gatherings (MGs), where high temperatures and physical exertion exacerbate physiological stress. This study examines the clinical spectrum, management practices, and treatment outcomes of HRIs among pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj season, to inform public health responses and mitigation strategies.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted across nine healthcare facilities in Makkah and the Mashaer region during the 2024 Hajj. Data were retrospectively extracted from medical health care facilities registries using a standardized form to capture demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, management interventions, and in-hospital outcomes of patients diagnosed with heat-related illness.

resultsOf the 2,785 screened patients, 2,551 had complete clinical records, and 1,576 met the diagnostic criteria for heat exhaustion or heatstroke, with outcome data available. Most of the patients were male (1,171; 74.3%), with nearly half aged 60 years or older (776; 49.2%) and a large proportion aged 39–59 years (693; 44.0%). The majority were non-Saudi pilgrims (1,419; 90%), primarily from Arab countries, with 793 (50.3%) from these regions. A total of 1,094 patients (69.4%) had no prior history of HRIs. Common symptoms included altered mental status in 635 (40.3%) patients, dizziness in 486 (30.8%), and management interventions included intravenous fluid administration in 569 cases (36.1%) and the application of cooling measures in emergency settings for 1,105 patients (70.1%). The overall mortality rate was 77 (4.9%) cases. Intensive care unit (ICU) admission and elevated lactic acid levels were significantly associated with poor outcomes.

conclusionHeat-related illness during the Hajj remains a major public health concern, with a substantial clinical burden and potentially severe outcomes. Early recognition, timely intervention, and targeted education are essential for high-risk groups. Strengthening frontline preparedness and resource deployment is crucial to reducing its potential impact.

Indexed as

Heat Stress DisordersIslamMass GatheringsAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSaudi ArabiaSeasonsHajjHeat-Related IllnessesHeatstrokeMass GatheringsPilgrimage Health

Identifiers

PMID41964828
PMCPMC13184125

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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.