title: Variation in admission rates of acute coronary syndrome patients in coronary care unit according to different seasons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Environmental stresses, especially extreme cold and hot weathers, have tendency to have more admissions for acute coronary syndromes. Due to scarcity of local data, we studied the variation in patient admission rates with acute coronary syndrome according to different seasons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coronary Care Unit, Civil Hospital and Pakistan Steel Hospital, Karachi, from January 2011 to December 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised consecutive patients with acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina, Non ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI), ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) admitted to the coronary care unit. Patients with stable angina and valvular heart disease were excluded. Data was analyzed for admission according to different seasons, (winter, spring, summer and autumn).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 428 cases was 48.5 ± 10.4 years (range 27 to 73 years). Among the study group, 261 (61%) and 167 (39%) cases were male and female respectively. ST-elevation myocardial infarction, non ST-elevation myocardial infarction and unstable angina were present in 206 (48%), 128 (30%) and 94 (22%) respectively. Among the 428 patients, 184 (43%) cases had hypertension, 133 (31%) cases were smokers, 103 (24%) cases had dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus and 08 (2%) cases had history of premature coronary artery disease. The number of patients admissions with acute coronary syndrome tended to change with sudden change in season. It increased in Winter 158 (36.9%) and Summer 130 (30.3%) in comparison to Spring 80 (18.69%) and Autumn 60 (14.02%) season.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was found variation in admission rates of acute coronary syndrome patients according to different seasons. The number of admissions not only increased in the cold season (winter) but also in hot season (summer) with sudden changes in temperature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Civil Hospital, DUHS, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad Nawaz
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Lashari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Civil Hospital, DUHS, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad Tanveer
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Medical Student, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad Shahzeb
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Medical Student, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
authors.forename: Faizan Imran
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Bawany
authors.affiliation: Pakistan Steel Hospital, Karachi.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qayoom
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Civil Hospital, DUHS, Karachi.
authors.forename: Khalida
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soomro
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature