Original Article

Do Pulmonary Thromboemboli Have any Relation with Seasonal Variation? (Cross Sectional Study in North- West Iran)

10.5152/jaem.2010.001

  • Hasan Amiri
  • Samad Shams Vahdati
  • Mona Alikhani
  • Armin Nehzati
  • Mojan Ahmadi
  • Sahar Salek Zamani
  • Negin Nejad Ettehad
  • Leila Rasi Marzabadi

Received Date: 05.05.2010 Accepted Date: 05.07.2010 Eurasian J Emerg Med 2010;9(3):113-116

Objective:

In some studies, the eff ect of seasonal variations on the incidence of disease is proven. Seasonal variation is discussed in the development of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) because the eff ect of these variations on the incidence of PTE disease was diff erent according to diff erent studies, The results of the studies which have been done so far have not shown any relation. The purpose of this study is to determine whether seasonal variations have any eff ect on the incidence of pulmonary thromboembolism.

Materials and Methods:

This research is a cross sectional study carried out on 158 hospitalized patients who were diagnosed as PTE between 2007 and 2008 in the Imam Reza educational and remedial center in Tabriz. Descriptive analysis is run on all variables and Chi-square method is used in evaluation of the diff erence among the groups.

Results:

In this research 158 patients, who were diagnosed as suff ering from PTE, were examined. The highest rate of incidence was in Spring and the rates of incidence in seasons in order are as follows: Spring 46 (29.1%) patients, Winter 42 (26.6%), Autumn 35 (22.2%), and Summer 35 (22.2%). In this study no sign of any meaningful diff erence in the number of patients in the diff erent seasons was observed (P=0.32).

Conclusions:

In this study on 158 patients suff ering from PTE, no meaningful relation between the seasons and the incidence of PTE was found. Studies with more samples are needed to support the fi nding and eff ects of seasonal variations on PTE.

Keywords: Pulmonary thromboembolism, seasonal variations, incidence