Respiratory diseases in Greater Buenos Aires and meteorological variables

Abstract

This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the relationship between atmospheric conditions and respiratory diseases based on the analysis of disease occurrence in patients during the period August 2004 to September 2007. To this effect, medical records from a medical services firm were examined, as well as temperature data (daily, maximum, minimum, dew point), pressure and relative humidity, measured at the meteorological station of Ezeiza (34.49°S, 58.32°W). The analysis revealed a strong seasonal relationship, with a peak in winter (low temperatures) and a minimum in summer. The annual cycle explains 76.24% of the total of the variance of the series. Most patients were below 10 years of age and older than 71. The best correlations were observed between daily values of the number of patients presenting with disease symptoms (N) and temperature, and between monthly values of N and maximum temperature (coefficients of −0.73 and −0.91, respectively). Multiple correlation between all meteorological variables obtained with the Stepwise method, made it possible to estimate the expected number of patients on daily and monthly scales. Mean geopotential height fields at 1000 hPa corresponding to days with the lowest number of patients have opposite synoptic characteristics to those of days with the largest number of patients. The same occurs with the fields corresponding to consecutive days with less than 40 patients per day and consecutive days with more than 300 patients per day. The fields corresponding to extremely high values show a positive pressure anomaly and consequent cold air advection over Buenos Aires and surrounding areas.

Análise Da Influência Entre as Variáveis Meteorológicas E Doenças Respiratórias Na Cidade De Campina Grande, Pb (Analysis of Influence Ratio Between the Variable Weather and Respiratory Diseases in Campina Grande, Pb)

“…Estudos nacionais tem verificado associações positivas entre as condições climáticas e doenças respiratórias (MOURA et al, 2008;CASTRO et al,2009;SOUSA et al,2012). No âmbito internacional também encontramos alguns esforços (ALESSANDRO, 2012;ZHU et al, 2012;SALVI, 2007).…”

“…Concluíram que o modelo desenvolvido é potencialmente útil para projetar as consequências de cenários de mudança climática e oferecendo insights sobre a susceptibilidade aos efeitos adversos do clima. Alessandro (2012) que avaliou a relação entre as condições atmosféricas e doenças respiratórias na cidade de Buenos Aires com base na análise de ocorrência da doença em pacientes durante o período de agosto de 2004 a setembro de 2007. Os resultados revelam uma forte relação sazonal, com valores máximos nos meses mais frios do ano e os valores mínimos no verão.…”

Effect of Ambient Temperature on Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Disease in Suburban Rural Villages of a Semi-Arid Region in Northwest China

“…McMichael and Lindgren 14 used the 95th percentile above the air temperature distribution as the threshold value for the heat effect and the fifth percentile below the air temperature distribution as the threshold value for the cold effect, whereas Azongo et al 15 used the 75th percentile and the 25th percentile as the threshold values for the heat effect and cold effect, respectively. Alessandro 16 found that there is a strong seasonal correlation between air temperature and the incidence of respiratory diseases. The number of patients peaked when the temperature was low in the winter, and there were fewer patients when the temperature was high in the summer.…”