Aim: To examine seasonal variation in hospital use for five paediatric conditions of the Australian Capital Territory residents.
Methods: Hospital admissions (1993-2004) and emergency room (ER) presentations (1999-2004) for asthma, croup, bronchiolitis, other respiratory conditions and diarrhoea of children aged <5 years were compared by month and season.
Results: The five conditions comprised 14% of admissions and 24% of ER presentations of children aged <5 years. Bronchiolitis (both admissions and ER presentations) were the highest in the 0-1 year age group (>80%) and the other four conditions peaked at 1-2 years. Children aged 0-2 years contributed 66% of diarrhoea, 62% of croup and 44% of other respiratory admissions whereas ER presentations were higher for other respiratory conditions (57%) and lower for croup (47%). Boys showed higher rates of admissions and ER presentations for all conditions except diarrhoea. Strong seasonal associations were apparent. Incident rate ratios of admissions were significantly higher in autumn compared with summer for asthma and croup whereas bronchiolitis and other respiratory conditions admissions were the highest in winter. Diarrhoea admissions were the highest in spring. ER presentations of the five conditions also showed similar associations with season.
Conclusion: Hospital admissions and ER presentations of these five conditions showed strong seasonal patterns, knowledge of which could contribute to improved resource planning (staffing) to meet expected increases in demand for services and scheduling of elective admissions. These findings could be extended to develop a model for forecasting hospital use and to explore the causes of these diseases to ameliorate seasonal effects.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2007.01080.x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Distinct seasonality of nutrients in twigs and leaves of temperate trees.
Tree Physiol
January 2025
School of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Seasonal variations of nutrients in different organs are an essential strategy for temperate trees to maintain growth and function. The seasonal variations and variability (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeochemical assessment of groundwater quality using Nemerov's pollution index: a micro-level study in the groundwater critical zone of western Rajasthan, India.
J Water Health
January 2025
Marwadi University Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Rajkot 360003, Gujrat, India.
The pollution index is a helpful tool for assessing the quality of groundwater. To assess the water quality in the southern segment of Barmer District (Rajasthan), India, we collected 20 samples of groundwater from the post-monsoon 2021 and pre-monsoon 2022 periods. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness, Cl, SO, F, NO, total dissolved solids, Ca, and Mg were analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends, seasonal variations and forecasting of chronic respiratory disease morbidity in charcoal producing areas, northwest Ethiopia: time series analysis.
Front Epidemiol
January 2025
Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Objective: This study analyzed the trend, seasonal variations and forecasting of chronic respiratory disease morbidity in charcoal producing areas, northwest Ethiopia, aiming to provide evidences in planning, designing strategies, and decision-makings for preparedness and resource allocation to prevent CRD and reduce public health burden in the future.
Materials And Methods: The trend, seasonal variation, and forecasting for CRD were estimated using data collected from the three zones of Amhara region annual reports of DHIS2 records. Smoothing decomposition analysis was employed to demonstrate the trend and seasonal component of CRD.
Protocol of the Nutritional, Psychosocial, and Environmental Determinants of Neurodevelopment and Child Mental Health (COINCIDE) study.
Wellcome Open Res
November 2024
Indian Institute of Public Health-Bengaluru, Public Health Foundation of India, Bangalore, India.
Background: Over 250 million children are developing sub-optimally due to their exposure to early life adversities. While previous studies have examined the effects of nutritional status, psychosocial adversities, and environmental pollutants on children's outcomes, little is known about their interaction and cumulative effects.
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the independent, interaction, and cumulative effects of nutritional, psychosocial, and environmental factors on children's cognitive development and mental health in urban and rural India.
Murine-related helminthiasis: a public health concern at solid waste sites around forest- adjacent communities in Thailand.
Front Vet Sci
January 2025
Department of Large Animal and Wildlife Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Murine-related helminthiasis is a frequently overlooked zoonotic disease with significant public health implications. The role of murine rodents in transmitting these infections to other animals remains under-researched. This study aimed to investigate murine-related helminth infections at solid waste sites, particularly in forest-adjacent communities where murine rodent populations are high and multi-host interactions are possible.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!