CABARRUS, NC (WBTV) - Medics in the Charlotte region brace for multiple days of hot weather and the medical related calls that come with it.
As of late afternoon, Charlotte medics transported a total of 5 patients because of heat-related symptoms. Four patients were expected to be ok. One person's condition was more severe.
In Cabarrus County, medics showed WBTV the tools they keep on hand to cool down patients as quickly as possible including ice packs.
Medics break down the levels of heat related illness starting with heat cramp, saying usually people working or exercising outside can experience this.
The next level is heat exhaustion. That's when someone experiences profuse sweating, rapid heart beat, nausea or confusion.
Heat stroke is the most life threatening emergency. One symptom can include when someone stops sweating and their core temperature reaches 105.
"In a situation where someone has heat exhaustion or heat stroke..we are going to try to put ice in strategic locations like under their arms, around their neck..in the groin area..places where blood vessels are close to the surface and you can start to cool that down and it starts circulating that cool blood throughout the body to bring their core temperature down," Don Shue with Charlotte Medic said.
Medics say it's often easy to go from hot to overheated with dehydration quickly setting in.
"In temperatures like this it doesn't matter how strong you are..how healthy you are," Cabarrus County Medic Jake Smith said.
Medics also saw some calls Friday related to folks having trouble breathing.
They say the heat couple with a bad ozone can often trigger problems for people especially ones with underlying conditions.
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