Impact of heat waves on human morbidity and hospital admissions in a city of the western mediterranean area.

Purpose: The effect of heat waves on mortality is well known, but current evidence on morbidity is limited. Establishing the consequences of these events in terms of morbidity is important to ensure communities and health systems can adapt to them.

Methods: We thus collected data on total daily emergency hospital admissions, admissions to critical care units, emergency department admissions, and emergency admissions for specific diagnoses to Hospital Universitario de Son Espases from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2021.