Cold-related Illness
Cold-related illness is a weather-related condition that occurs when the body is exposed to cold temperatures for a long period of time. Prolonged exposure to the cold can be dangerous and life-threatening. The most common cold-related illnesses in Maine are hypothermia and frostbite. Tracking emergency department visits and hospitalizations for cold-related illness helps to understand how Mainers are affected by exposure to cold temperatures.
What data are available?
Maine tracks the following measures associated with cold-related illness:
- Near real-time data (daily emergency department visits)
- Emergency department (ED) visits (annual summaries)
- Hospitalizations