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An estimated 240 million people worldwide suffer from migraines. Because migraines are often debilitating, understanding the mechanisms that trigger them is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Synoptic air mass types and emergency department (ED) visits for migraine headaches were examined over a 7-year period within a major metropolitan area of North Carolina to identify potential relationships between large-scale meteorological conditions and the incidence of migraine headaches. Barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses, or changing weather patterns, were also analyzed for potential relationships. Bootstrapping analysis revealed that tropical air masses (moist and dry) resulted in the greatest number of migraine ED visits over the study period, whereas polar air masses led to fewer. Moist polar air masses in particular were found to correspond with the fewest number of migraine ED visits. On transitional air mass days, the number of migraine ED visits fell between those of tropical air mass days and polar air mass days. Transitional days characterized by pressure increases exhibited a greater number of migraine ED visits than days characterized by pressure decreases. However, no relationship was found between migraine ED visits and the magnitude of barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison between secular hospitals and monastic infirmaries introduces a discussion of the duration and seasonality of the illnesses of the monks of Westminster in two periods: 1297-8 to 1354-5 and 1381-2 to 1416-17. A change in the duration of illnesses is related to the seasonal pattern of morbidity in this sample and that of mortality among male adults in the early modern period is discussed. It is suggested that the latter pattern may extend into the late Middle Ages.

Asthma hospitalization rates have increased in the United States since 1980. The exposure risk of many environmental factors, which contribute to respiratory disease, vary throughout the year. The objective of this study was to investigate the seasonal variation of pediatric asthma hospitalizations and predict hospitalization frequency. This was a longitudinal analysis of all pediatric asthma hospitalizations in the state of Maryland by age, gender, race, and residence using non-confidential discharge data sets from 1986 to 1999. Of the 631,422 pediatric hospitalizations in the state of Maryland during the years 1986-1999, 45,924 (7%) had a primary admission diagnosis of asthma. Frequency of hospitalization for asthma was lowest in the summer in all age groups, and highest in the fall. Seasonal variation in severe asthma episodes was least striking in children aged 15-18. This was in contrast to non-asthma admissions, which were highest in winter in preschool children, but relatively flat in school- and teen-aged children. Using neural network modeling, weekly asthma hospitalizations could be predicted with an R² between 0.71 and 0.8. Temporal trends in asthma hospitalizations were seen in each age group, gender, race, and location. The seasonal variability in asthma hospitalizations suggests that acute asthma is influenced by variables beyond socioeconomic factors and adherence to medical regimens. Strategies to combat exacerbations of asthma should take into consideration seasonal effects on a population. In addition, temporal trends examined over many years can be used to predict frequency of severe asthma episodes in a population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the age-specific hospitalization rate for rotavirus-associated diarrhea in Canadian children during the seasonal outbreak. Identification of children with rotavirus-associated diarrhea; Age-specific hospitalization rate; Findings in children with rotavirus-associated diarrhea aged 6 to 36 months.

Numbers of first admissions per month for a single psychiatric unit, from 1977 to 1987, were examined for 1829 psychiatric inpatients to assess whether this measure was correlated with 10 parameters of geophysical activity. Four statistically significant values were 0.197 with level of solar radioflux at 2800 MHZ in the corresponding month, -0.274 with sudden magnetic disturbances of the ionosphere, -0.216 with the index of geomagnetic activity, and -0.262 with the number of hours of positive ionization of the ionosphere in the corresponding month. Percentages of variance accounted for were very small.

Successive annual efficiency savings of about 3% are affecting the ability of the National Health Service to cope with seasonal increases in demand. Hospital bed occupancy rates are 90%-95%, compared with the recommended rate of 80%.