Post on 23-Jul-2015
It Takes a Village:
Prevention of Child Vehicular Heatstroke
Kristie C. Reeves-Cavaliero, Pharm.D.President and Co-Founder,
Ray Ray’s Pledge™
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Forgotten in the Backseat:More Common than You Think
http://youtu.be/kYGAIagq-Wg
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
636+
The number of child hot car deaths reported in the media since 1998
http://ggweather.com/heat; Accessed 3/30/15.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
TEXAS Leads the Nation!
http://ggweather.com/heat; Accessed 3/30/15.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Forgotten Daycare Drop-off
The #1 source of child hot car deaths
Data on file. Ray Ray’s Pledge, 2015.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Heat-Related Illness A spectrum of symptoms due to excessive
heat exposure
Key initial physical sign to distinguish mild illness vs. heatstroke: Core temperature:
≥104˚F: heatstroke,,,,,
Becker J. Am Fam Physician 2011; 83(11):1325-30.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Thermoregulation
The body’s methods to maintain a healthy temperature Conduction
Direct transfer of heat from a warmer surface to a cooler surface
Evaporation Perspiration
Radiation Absorption or reflection of heat without direct contact Eg: reflection of heat with light-colored clothing
Convection Exchange of heat with surrounding air
Becker J. Am Fam Physician 2011; 83(11):1325-30.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Heatstroke
Also known as “hyperthermia” Body temperature exceeds 104˚F
+ Body’s thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed and can no longer cool itself
+ Symptoms: Central nervous system effects: disorientation,
sluggishness, hallucinations, seizure, loss of consciousness Other: hot/dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty, rapid heart
rate, other heart rhythm disturbances Body temperature >107˚F: organs shut down,
cellular damage Fatal if not rapidly reversed
Becker J. Am Fam Physician 2011; 83(11):1325-30. http://ggweather.com/heat, Accessed 12/1/11.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Heatstroke in Children
Children are more prone to overheating than adults: Immature thermoregulatory system: less
efficient than adults A child’s body overheats 3-5 times faster than
an adult body
Adults more likely to modify behavior based on environment
(eg: remove excess clothing, get out of a hot car)
Tsuzuki-Hayakawa K and Tochihara Y. Eur J Appl Physiol 1995;72:12–17. http://ggweather.com/heat, Accessed 12/1/11.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Child Vehicular Heatstroke:
An Unintended Consequence of Moving Children to the Backseat
www.KidsandCars.org/heatstroke.html. Accessed 3/15/14.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Child Deaths Due to Vehicular Heatstroke:
Why Are We Talking About It?
http://kidsandcars.org/heatstroke.html, Accessed 12/1/11. NiTS Data. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811655.pdf. Accessed 3/15/14.
Vehicular Heatstroke:
3rd leading cause of death!
#1 cause of non-crash, non-traffic child car
fatalities!
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Child Vehicular Heatstroke:Understanding the Cause
Data from 494 child hot car deaths (1998 – 2010)
http://ggweather.com/heat, Accessed 12/1/11. Graph Courtesy of Jan Null, CCM.
•More than 1 in 5 heatstroke DEATHS
•Kids were supposed to go to DAYCARE that morning
•FORGOTTEN in the backseat instead
•Whereabouts went unquestioned
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Understanding the Cause
Child Vehicular Heatstroke Fatalities 2014
(n = 30)
*DNS: destination not specifiedData on file. Ray Ray’s Pledge, 2015.
• Children being forgotten in backseat (60%) continues to be predominant factor
• Forgotten daycare drop-off continues to be most common intended destination
23%
13%
27%
37%
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Children Left in Vehicles:How Hot? How Fast?
Rate of temperature rise in first 20 minutes: 6.25˚F/ 5 minutes Overall rate of temperature rise through 60 minute study: 3.1˚/ 5 minutes
80% of temperature rise in first 30 minutes Temperature rise begins within five minutes of shutting off ignition Temperature begins to plateau at 60 minutes
McClaren C et al. Pediatrics 2005; 116:e109-11. http://ggweather.com/heat,
Accessed 12/1/11.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
“How Can ANYONE Forget that a Child is in the Backseat??”
“If you’re capable of FORGETTING your CELLPHONE, you are potentially capable of
FORGETTING your CHILD”
David Diamond, Ph.D., USFWeingarten G. Fatal Distraction. IN: Washington Post 2009. http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Feature-Writing.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Common Factors Associated withParents Who Forgot their Children
Stress
Emotion
Lack of sleep
Change of routine
Weingarten G. Fatal Distraction. IN: Washington Post 2009.
http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Feature-Writing.
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
For Heatstroke InformationPlease Visit Us:
Sophia Rayne “Ray Ray” Cavaliero5.15.10 – 5.25.11
www.RayRaysPledge.comwww.facebook.com/rayraycavaliero
Twitter: @rayrayspledgeInstagram: rayrayspledge
Email: info@rayrayspledge.com
©Ray Ray’s Pledge™ 2015
Follow the Social Media Conversation on Child Vehicular Heatstroke!
Common tags: #heatstroke, #childhotcardeath, #wheresbaby
Upcoming social media events: April 22: #Run4RoRa
in memory of Aurora Hollingsworth, Richland Hills TX
May 22: National Heat Awareness Day July (TBD): National Heatstroke
Prevention Day