title: The influence of lunar phenomena on the incidence of emergency cases.
abstract: It is widely believed that the incidence of specific emergency cases shows clustering during long observation periods. Though there is no scientific proof, many physicians and other emergency staff believe in influences of the moon or the signs of the zodiac. The aim of our retrospective study over 6 years was to evaluate (a) if there are any statistically documented peaks of frequency of emergency cases at all, and (b) if they can be linked to lunar phenomena. We evaluated all three aspects of the moon: The 'synodic' moon (=lunar phases), the 'sideric' moon (=distance between moon and the earth) and the moon in her relation to the signs of the zodiac (=influence of the zodiac). A total of 11134 patients entered the study. We found highly significant clusters of emergency calls, mainly for lung disorders. However, neither aspect of the moon showed the slightest correlation with the frequency of emergency calls (sideric month (P=0.99), synodic month (P=0.85) and zodiac (P=0.85)). Trigonometric regression with the period of the anomalistic month (P=0.173) and with the synodic month (P=0.28) did not show any influence of the moon on emergency in either cases. Though our retrospective data analysis documented clustering of emergency cases, any influence of the moon and the signs of the zodiac can be definitely ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Medizinercorps of the Austrian Red Cross, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolbank
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prause
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smolle-Juettner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smolle
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heidinger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quehenberger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spernbauer
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016081:Moon; D012189:Retrospective Studies