Effect of the weather on acute hospital admissions. Observations at a neurologic clinic
Weitbrecht, W.U.; Simon, F.
Fortschritte der Medizin 108(15): 287-291
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8178 PMID: 2397927 Document Number: 357758
In 1,286 acute admissions to a neurological department in 1987/88, the relationship between admission rate and the continuously recorded meteorological parameters air pressure, temperature, and humidity, together with their differences over 24 hours (previous day and next day), as well as subjective weather effects, were submitted to factor analysis. No correlation was found between admission rate and absolute meterological parameters, but there was a relationship between admission rate and 24-hour differences, which was age-dependent and decreased from younger to older patients. This was considered to show that in the elderly, the usual course of their disease is more decisive than any influences of the weather. This contrasts with the results of demoscopic polls that show an increase in weather-dependent complaints with age.