title: Is atmospheric pressure change an Independent risk factor for hemoptysis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hemoptysis is one of the most important and challenging symptoms in pulmonary medicine. Because of the increased number of patients with hemoptysis in certain periods of the year, we aimed to investigate whether atmospheric changes have an effect on the development of hemoptysis with or without a secondary cause.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of patients presenting with hemoptysis between January 2006 and December 2011 were analyzed. Data on the daily atmospheric pressure (hectopascal, hPa), relative humidity (%), and temperature ((o) C) during that time were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 232 patients with hemoptysis, 145 male (62.5%) and 87 female (37.5%) with an average age of 48.1(±17.6), were admitted to our hospital between 2006 and 2011. The highest admission rates were in the spring season, the highest in May (n=37, 15.9%), and the lowest admission rates were in December (n=10, 4.3%). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the number of hemoptysis cases and mean atmospheric pressure but no relative humidity or outdoor temperature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hemoptysis is very much influenced by weather factors; in particular, low atmospheric pressures significantly affect the development of hemoptysis. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure may also play a role in hemoptysis.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Omer Araz, Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Araz
authors.affiliation: Dr. Elif Yilmazel Ucar, Assistant Professor, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif Yilmazel
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Ucar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Metin Akgun, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akgun
authors.affiliation: Dr. Yener Aydin, Assistant Professor, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yener
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Dr. Mehmet Meral, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meral
authors.affiliation: Dr. Leyla Saglam, Professor, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.affiliation: Dr. Hasan Kaynar, Professor, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaynar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Ali Metin Gorguner, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Ataturk University School of Medicine, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Metin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Gorguner
keywords: Atmospheric Pressure; Hemoptysis; Humidity; Outdoor Temperature