Medicine use, heat and thermoregulation in Australian patients

Tait, Peter W

doi:10.5694/mja11.10289

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To the Editor: Australia is already a hot country and the frequency of hot spells looks set to increase over coming decades.1 Health care professionals will therefore need to consider the effect that medications can have on people’s capacity to respond to hot conditions.

National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.

Correspondence: peter.tait@anu.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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2. Katzung BG. Basic and clinical pharmacology. 8th ed. New York: Lange Medical Books/McGraw Hill, 2001.
3. Cuddy MLS. The effects of drugs on thermoregulation. AACN Clinical Issues 2004; 15: 238-253.
4. Kasper DL, Fauci AS, Longo DL, et al, editors. Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. 16th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2005.
5. Australian medicines handbook. Adelaide: AMH, 2010.
6. Kovats R. Heat waves and health protection. Focus on public health, social care, and building regulations. BMJ 2006; 333: 314-315.

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