Climatic factors influence on emergency department visits

Giamello, Jacopo Davide; Melchio, Remo; Bertolaccini, Luca; Caraccio, Paolo; Rendina, C.; Lauria, Giuseppe

doi:10.1177/10249079221092897

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The effect of precipitation in the form of rain may, therefore, be underrepresented in our study. While the effect of heavy precipitation on AOM-related EVs has not yet been described, previous studies showed a mild but significant reduction in the overall risk of EVs in children and adults after heavy rain and snowstorms (40,41). Precipitation may, therefore, directly influence the incidence of AOM-related EVs or could be a consequence of human behavioral patterns, as people may be more reluctant to seek medical attention during rain or snow.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuations in emergency department visits related to acute otitis media are associated with extreme meteorological conditions

Nieratschker

Haas

Lucic

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundClimate change has been associated with a higher frequency of extreme weather events, resulting in an overall increase in morbidity and mortality. Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common otolaryngological infections and accounts for 1.5% of emergency department visits. This study aimed to identify associations between extreme weather events and the immediate and delayed risks for AOM-related emergency department visits (EV).MethodsA total of 1,465 AOM-related EVs were identified in the Vienna General Hospital between 2015 and 2018. A distributed lag non-linear model was applied to evaluate the relationship between extreme weather conditions and the total number of AOM-related EVs per day. The relative risk (RR) and cumulative RR (cRR) of single-day events and extended weather events over three days were analyzed over a lag period of 14 days.ResultsAOM-related EVs showed a pronounced seasonality, with the highest occurrence during winter. Single-day weather events affected AOM-related EVs only at high relative humidity. Prolonged extreme weather conditions over three days, however, significantly increased the cRR for AOM-related EVs to 3.15 [1.26–7.88; p = 0.014] and 2.14 [1.14–4.04; p = 0.018] at mean temperatures of −4°C (1st-percentile - p1) and 0°C (p5) on the same day. Relative humidity of 37% (p1) decreased RR to 0.94 [0.88–0.99; p = 0.032] on day 7, while extremely high humidity of 89% (p99) led to an increased cRR of 1.43 [1.03–2.00; p = 0.034] on day 7. Heavy prolonged precipitation of 24mm (p95) reduced cRR beginning day 4 up until day 14 to 0.52 [0.31–0.86; p = 0.012]. Prolonged low atmospheric pressure events of 985hPa (p5) reduced the RR to 0.95 [0.91–1.00; p = 0.03], whereas extremely high atmospheric pressure events of 1013hPa (p99) increased the RR to 1.11 [1.03–1.20; p = 0.008]. Extremely low wind speeds significantly diminished the RR of AOM-related EVs.ConclusionsWhile single-day extreme weather events had little impact on the occurrence of AOM-related EVs, extended periods of extreme temperatures, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speeds and atmospheric pressure significantly impacted the RR for AOM-related EVs. These findings could help improve healthcare resource allocation in similar climates and aid in educating patients about the role of environmental factors in AOM.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuations in emergency department visits related to acute otitis media are associated with extreme meteorological conditions

Nieratschker

Haas

Lucic

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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“…35 A small Italian time series study found that barometric pressure changes were associated with more emergency department stroke presentations without reporting on subtypes. 36 One small preliminary prospective cohort explored anomalous meteorologic patterns, combining changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure, and found that changes in combined readings from the expected norm were associated with a significant increase in fatal stroke. Of the 35 reported deaths during the winter period, 27 occurred on days where temperature and atmospheric pressure changes were recorded.…”

Section: Temperature Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…35 A small Italian time series study found that barometric pressure changes were associated with more emergency department stroke presentations without reporting on subtypes. 36…”

Section: Climate Change and Strokementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of the additional single-study articles identified in our search, only 1 found no conclusive link between stroke and temperature. 36 Another reported that rising average daily ambient temperature was associated with significantly higher stroke mortality and reduced physical activity in the US mainland population. Controlling for reduced physical activity reduced the risk estimate, but it remained statistically significant.…”

Section: Climate Change and Strokementioning

confidence: 99%

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Climate Change and Stroke: A Topical Narrative Review

Ranta,

Kang,

Saad

et al. 2024

Stroke

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The impacts of accumulating atmospheric greenhouse gases on the earth’s climate are now well established. As a result, there have been increases in ambient temperatures and resultant higher frequency and duration of temperature extremes and other extreme weather events, which have been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. This topical narrative review provides a summary of published evidence on the links between climate change and stroke. There is consistent evidence of associations between stroke incidence and mortality and increasing ambient temperature and air pollution. Associations have also been shown for changes in barometric pressure, wildfires, and desert dust and sandstorms, but current evidence is limited. Flooding and other extreme weather events appear to primarily cause service disruption, but more direct links to stroke may emerge. Synergies between dietary changes that reduce stroke risk and may also reduce carbon footprint are being explored. We also discuss the impact on vulnerable populations, proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and current research priorities. In conclusion, climate change increasingly impacts the stroke community, warranting elevated attention.

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“…It has also been suggested that extremely low temperatures significantly increase the risk of respiratory symptom-related emergency room visits [ 10 ]. The association between weather parameters and hospital admissions has been proven, and this connection seems to be stronger in the case of respiratory diseases [ 11 ]. Furthermore, instead of focusing solely on temperature-related factors, studying other weather-related extremes—that can also affect health—would be more beneficial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Vulnerable Are Patients with COPD to Weather Extremities?—A Pilot Study from Hungary

et al. 2022

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common causes of death globally, with increasing prevalence and years lived with disability (YLD). We aimed to investigate how extreme weather conditions were associated with the number of daily COPD-related emergency visits. We collected data regarding the number of daily emergency department (ED) visits made by patients with COPD in 2017, along with all relevant daily meteorological data for the same year. An analysis of the relationship between the number of COPD-related ED visits and extreme meteorological events was carried out. Extremely low temperatures (OR = 1.767) and dew points (OR = 1.795), extremely high atmospheric pressure (OR = 1.626), a high amount of precipitation (OR = 1.270), and light wind speed (OR = 1.560) were identified as possible risk factors for a higher number of COPD-related ED visits. In contrast, extremely high temperatures (OR = 0.572) and dew points (OR = 0.606) were found to be possible protective factors for COPD-related ED visits. By determining the meteorological risk factors for a high number of COPD-related ED visits, our study may help provide invaluable data for identifying vulnerable patient groups based on weather events, thus making more optimal capacity planning at the ED possible.

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Climatic factors influence on emergency department visits

Cited by 5 publications

References 2 publications

Fluctuations in emergency department visits related to acute otitis media are associated with extreme meteorological conditions

Fluctuations in emergency department visits related to acute otitis media are associated with extreme meteorological conditions

Climate Change and Stroke: A Topical Narrative Review

How Vulnerable Are Patients with COPD to Weather Extremities?—A Pilot Study from Hungary

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