Heat-Related Illness Clinician’s Guide - June 2021

Agricultural workers are at significant risk for heat stress. Heat stress results when the body cannot get rid of excess heat and its core temperature rises.  Heat stress may lead to more severe heat illness including heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat stroke, and even death if left untreated.  Agricultural work, which requires performing physically demanding work for long hours in hot and sometimes humid weather, places workers at high risk.

This guide provides information to clinicians on the prevention and treatment of heat-related illness. Since workers may not be familiar with all of the symptoms of heat stress, it is important that clinicians discuss heat illness symptoms and prevention with agricultural workers and others who are at risk.

This joint FJ and MCN publication was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of awards totaling $1,949,598 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HHS.gov.