title: Relationship between environment factors and the number of outpatient visits at a clinic for nonallergic rhinitis in Japan, extracted from electronic medical records.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the environmental factors (meteorological factors, air pollutant levels, etc.) on the number of clinic consultations for nonallergic rhinitis (NAR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Among the 9056 outpatients visiting a general internal medicine clinic in Japan between August 2012 and the end of July 2013 (counting return visitors as multiple cases), the total daily number of first visits for NAR plus the number of extraordinary visits by patients with NAR for acute exacerbation of the disease was investigated using electronic medical records and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Major parameters with significant Spearman's correlation coefficients and significant correlation coefficients also in the multiple regression analysis were the mean vapor pressure (coefficient of determination 27.3 %) throughout the year, mean vapor pressure (58.4 %), mean temperature (44.4 %), maximum 10-min precipitation (12.0 %) only during the autumn-winter period, and temperature difference (13.3 %) only during the spring-summer period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean vapor pressure is the most important environmental factor associated with acute exacerbation of NAR.
authors.affiliation: Information Management Officer, Department of Clinical Research and Informatics, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. hoshino1133@hotmail.co.jp.|Akagi-kohgen Hospital, Gunma, Japan. hoshino1133@hotmail.co.jp.|Department of Internal Medicine, Gohyakuyama Clinic, Gunma, Japan. hoshino1133@hotmail.co.jp.|Graduate School of Environmental Information, Teikyo Heisei University, Tokyo, Japan. hoshino1133@hotmail.co.jp.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Gohyakuyama Clinic, Gunma, Japan. linmei1131@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Ayami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental Information, Teikyo Heisei University, Tokyo, Japan. j.nishino@thu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000628:therapy*