Effects of Atmospheric Changes on Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Abstract

Aim: Inconsistent results were reported in studies on the relationship between pneumothorax and meteorological condition. We investigated whether meteorological variables increase the incidence of pneumothorax application in a region of Turkey with intense southwestern winds. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively using the hospital records of patients diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) at the emergency department or thoracic surgery outpatient clinics between January 2016 and December 2018. The admissions were grouped according to the month and seasons. Meteorological data, including daily mean temperatures (°C), atmospheric pressure (millibars), moisture (%), and wind (m/s), were obtained from the local meteorological directorate. The meteorological data on the days with and without SP were compared. Results: ‎ Total 264 patients diagnosed as pneumothorax included to this study. Of the patients, 27 (10.2%) were female, and 237 (89.8%) were male. The mean age was 36.71±17.95 years (between 18-92). Of these patients, 185 (70.0%) had primary SP, while 79 (29.9%) had secondary SP (SSP). During the study period, lower atmospheric pressure, humidity and higher °C were detected in July, August and September (<0.05). SSP was significantly higher in August and September (p<0.05). While southwestern winds were recorded on 703 days (74.5%), there were 214 days (22.7%) without such winds. Regarding the daily number of pneumothorax patient admissions, there was no statistically significant relationship between southwestern winds and SP. Conclusion: SSP was significantly higher in August and September because of lower atmospheric pressure, humidity and higher °C.