After the heatwave of the last few days, what impact has it had on the Côte d'Azur's healthcare system? We take stock
The editorial staff Published on 07/10/2025 at 05:00, updated on 07/10/2025 at 05:00
A suffocating France and a heatwave in the emergency room.
A week ago, as the temperature rose, the emergency room at the Pasteur University Hospital in Nice recorded up to 330 daily admissions . This observation was partly explained by the influx of tourists but also, partially, by the high temperatures .
"Since the heatwave plan was moved to level 3 [on Friday, June 27, Editor's note] , we have identified 50 to 60 patients directly affected by the heat. These are cases of severe dehydration, heatstroke, etc. So it's not the majority, but it's significant," Dr. Pierre-Marie Tardieux, head of the Emergency Department, emphasized in our columns on July 2.
Rise, stability then fallIn its latest bulletin, the National Public Health Agency (also known as "Santé publique France") reveals data for the period from June 27 to July 6, during which the departments of the Region - with the exception of Hautes-Alpes - were placed on orange heatwave alert .
"The analysis of the use of emergency care at the regional level during the episode indicates: an increase in the number of SOS Médecins medical acts for all causes (all ages and 75 years and over), stability in the activity for all causes (all ages and among those aged 75 and over) of hospital emergency departments" , as well as "an increase in the share of activity for the iCanicule1 indicator (see opposite) of SOS Médecins associations for all ages (maximum between July 1 and 3) and hospital emergency departments (maximum between July 2 and 4), all ages and among those aged 75 and over, followed by a decrease over the last 3 days" , notes the Agency, before going into more detail.
SOS Médecins: two peaks of activity before a return to normalConcerning SOS Médecins, "the share of activity linked to heat in the associations increased until the beginning of July to a level higher than that observed during the reference period (from June 5 to 26)," underlines Santé publique France.
Two peaks of activity were notably observed on July 1, with 13 medical procedures recorded, representing 1.2% of total activity.
A second peak occurred on July 3, with 21 medical procedures (1.7% activity), before a decline and a return to pre-heatwave levels.
In both cases, "these acts mainly concerned heat stroke" (87% of the total acts).
Within emergency structures - those that are part of the Oscour® network (Organization for Coordinated Emergency Surveillance) - the proportion of visits related to the heatwave "increased until the beginning of July to a level higher than that observed" from June 5 to 26, all ages combined.
Two peaks of activity were recorded: July 2 with 1.4% of total activity, or 63 visits to the emergency room, then July 4 with 1.2% of activity (58 visits).
"The heat-related activity then decreased to return to a comparable level. The passages mainly concerned hyponatremia (39% of passages) and dehydration (36%)," specifies the National Public Health Agency.
According to the terms defined by Public Health France, the iCanicule indicator includes:
Hyperthermia (heat stroke)"An increase in body temperature above normal values, which are generally between 36.5 and 37.5°C. It is often characterized by a body temperature above 40°C. It can have endogenous or exogenous causes (exposure to the sun, heat, drug/medication use, intense physical activity). It can lead to neurological disorders, coma, or even death. The most vulnerable people are the elderly, athletes, or people engaged in intense physical activity in the heat. Age, certain chronic pathologies, social isolation, obesity, the use of certain medications, lack of hydration or sleep, and alcohol consumption can increase the risk of hyperthermia."
DehydrationIt is a "lack of water and mineral salts in the body, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body. The elderly, infants, and people with certain chronic illnesses are particularly at risk. It can cause weight loss, fever, headaches, disorientation, dizziness, impaired consciousness, changes in behavior, and impair the proper functioning of vital organs."
Hyponatremia"An electrolytic disorder" , monitored only in hospital emergency services, "corresponding to too low a proportion of sodium in the body compared to the quantity of water. It can have a pathological or medicinal origin, or be due to excessive water consumption without additional sodium intake, which can be the case in elderly people during heat waves due to insufficient nutritional intake. It causes drowsiness, asthenia, nausea, vomiting, motor slowing, and impaired consciousness, which can lead to coma."
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