It is reported that nearly 500 patients with “out-of-hospital cardiac arrest” (OHCA) have occurred this year alone as the cold wave from the Arctic descends to Taiwan, a subtropical region.
On the 12th, local media in Taiwan reported that there were 492 OHCA patients this year alone, citing data from each local government’s fire department.
Cardiac arrest is often unpredictable, and OHCA refers to cardiac arrest that occurs outside the hospital.
According to the report, 55 non-traumatic OHCA patients occurred the day before, the highest number this year. The number of OHCA patients continues to increase to 54 and 55 on the 10th and 11th, respectively, and it was found that middle-aged people were among them.
Two continental cold air masses have hit Taiwan in the past 10 days. One arrived on the 6th, and the other came down on the 9th, dropping the mercury in all cities and counties below 10 degrees.
Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Agency (CWA) reported on the 12th that the dawn temperature of Wisan, the highest mountain in Taiwan and 3,952 meters above sea level, recorded minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. The Taiwan Meteorological Administration issued a low-temperature special report from 10:31 a.m. to the dawn of the next day and urged the elderly and vulnerable to be careful of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases caused by low temperatures.
Taiwan, which spans the Northern Regression Line, has a higher temperature than Korea, but it is very humid, so heating facilities such as ondol are not applied to residential facilities.
In response, the National Taiwan Hospital cautioned that people with cardiovascular disease or related risk factors, especially older people, are prone to cardiovascular emergencies in the early hours of the morning.
The hospital said, “Not only those in their 60s and older, but also those in their 40s and 50s should be careful,” adding, “People in their 40s and 50s often do not recognize risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia until an acute reaction occurs.” For this reason, some victims in their 40s and 50s were not able to prepare for this OHCA at all, he added.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
