Las Vegas sees surge in heat-related injuries during hot summer months

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - With temperatures surging the next few days due to excessive heat, the Lions Burn Center at UMC is anticipating a surge in 2nd degree burns on feet.

Turns out people don’t realize how hot pavement and road surfaces can get when temperatures climb into triple digits.

“Depending on the surface when the ambient temperature climbs to 110 degrees or so pavement can get as high as 150 to 170 degrees,” according to Dr Syed Saquib, Medical Director of the burn center.

Foot burns he said should be taken seriously. “These burns can get infected and those infections left untreated could become a life threatening event,” he added.

At this time of the year other body parts can get burned too.

Saquib points out opening a metal door with the sun blazing on the handle could cause a burn as could getting into your car and touching the steering wheel or sitting on a hot leather seat.,

He recommends having a towel in your car to sit on and waiting for the air conditioners to cool off the steering wheel before starting to drive.

As for your feet, wear sandals, flip flops anything that has padding between the soles of your feet and the pavement.

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