Analysis of Chest Disease Consultations Requested by an Emergency Unit in Summer and Winter Months

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to show seasonal differences by analysing the chest disease consultations requested by an emergency unit in summer (June, July, and August) and winter (December, January, and February) months. Methods: Patients over the age of 18 years who were directed by an emergency unit to the Department of Chest Diseases between 1 December 2021 and 31 August 2022 and whose thoracic computerized tomography results were available were included in the study. Variables such as the patients’ demographic characteristics, complaints, results of the examinations done in the emergency unit, hospitalization rates, place of hospitalization (hospital ward or intensive care), and pre-diagnosis before hospitalization were evaluated. The statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05 in all calculations and statistical analysis of the data was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: For the 409 patients included in this study, more consultations were requested in the winter months (n = 239, 58.4%). We identified significant differences between the seasonal groups in terms of the complaints and the additional radiological imaging findings of patients consulted in summer and winter months (p < 0.05). The most common complaint in both seasons was shortness of breath. Pleural effusion was less common among the additional radiological findings of both seasons. Conclusion: This study has revealed significant differences between seasonal groups in terms of complaints and additional radiological imaging findings of patients with consultations in summer and winter months. However, there were no significant differences between the seasonal groups in terms of age, sex, pre-diagnosis, place of hospitalization, or main radiological findings.