'Centro de Estudos Geograficos (IGOT) Universidade de Lisboa'
Doi
Abstract
Asthma attacks triggered by thunderstorms have been described in
several countries. The rises in pollen concentrations, attributed to atmospheric electrical
discharges, were considered the leading cause of these outbreaks. The presence of various
pollutants as well as certain weather conditions may contribute synergistically to the
onset of exacerbations in patients with a previous diagnosis of asthma. This study aims to
investigate whether atmospheric electrical discharges exert any influence on the number
of emergency admissions due to childhood asthma, in autumn, in Lisbon. The investigation
will examine whether there are isolated or combined effects of meteorological variables,
pollutant and pollen concentrations that favour an increase in the number of exacerbations
of asthma symptoms. For this purpose we compared the number of asthma
admissions in periods with and without thunderstorms in a Lisbon paediatric emergency
service. Increasing pollen concentrations attributed to thunderstorms reported in the literature
were not found in Lisbon in the days analysed. There was also an absence of relationship
between admissions for asthma and air pollution. Associations between hospitalisations
due to asthma crisis and atmospheric variables were documented. In Lisbon, no influence of atmospheric electrical discharges in the variation of the number of emergency
admissions due to childhood asthma was verified in the studied period (autumn).
On the contrary, it was verified that a decrease in minimum temperature positively reinforces
these admissions.Crises de asma desencadeadas por trovoadas
têm sido descritas em vários países, como consequência do aumento das concentrações
de pólenes. Vários poluentes e certas condições meteorológicas podem contribuir sinergicamente
para a agudização dos sintomas em indivíduos com asma. Investiga-se se as descargas
eléctricas atmosféricas (DEA) aumentam as admissões hospitalares à urgência
infantil, no Outono, em Lisboa. Analisaram-se as entradas numa urgência pediátrica em
Lisboa, comparando o número de admissões por asma em períodos com e sem trovoadas.
O aumento das concentrações de pólenes no ar, atribuído às trovoadas não se verificou, em
Lisboa, no período analisado. Confirmou-se também a ausência de relação entre admissões
por asma e poluentes e documentaram-se associações entre aquelas e as variáveis
atmosféricas. Não se observou associação entre descargas eléctricas atmosféricas e admissões
ao Serviço de Urgência pediátrico por asma. No entanto, verificou-se que a diminui-
ção da temperatura mínima provocou o aumento de admissões hospitalares por asma no
período estudado.On a décrit en divers pays
une augmentation des crises d’asthme pendant les jours d’orage, surtout à cause d’un
accroissement des concentrations en pollens, liées aux décharges électriques. Mais
d’autres causes peuvent être la présence de divers polluants dans l’air ou encore certaines
situations météorologiques. On a comparé le nombre de décharges électriques au nombre
d’admissions en urgence infantile causées par l’asthme, pendant un automne à Lisbonne.
On n’a pas observé d’augmentation de la concentration de l’air en pollens, attribuée aux
orages dans la bibliographie pendant cette période, ni de rapport entre les admissions
pour asthme et la concentration en polluants ou la fréquence de décharges électriques. Il
semble, par contre, que la baisse de la température minimale provoque une augmentation
de ces admissionsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio