As Temperatures Soar, Study Warns of Fatal Heat Stroke at Work

Much of the United States has been sweltering in triple-digit heat this week, but new research finds outdoor workers can suffer fatal heat stroke from temperatures that only reach the high 80s.

In fact, six of 14 cases of fatal heat stroke investigated in the new study "occurred when the Heat Index was below 91 degrees Fahrenheit," noted a team led by Dr. Aaron Tustin, from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The Heat Index -- often announced on media weather forecasts -- is a calculation of heat and humidity that gauges how the combination "feels" to the human body. It also assumes the person is in the shade, wearing a single layer of light clothing.

Early summer heat waves are particularly deadly, the OSHA researchers said, since people may not yet be acclimatized to high temperatures.

Dr. Robert Glatter, an ER doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has seen many cases of heat stroke.

"It's important to remember that extreme heat combined with humidity can kill," said Glatter, who wasn't involved in the new study. "Extremes of heat are most concerning to public safety, and a large number of heat-related deaths are generally preventable."

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