Hossein Mohammadi; Hamideh Afsharmanesh; Sadegh Barzegar
Volume 20, Issue 77 , May 2011, , Pages 15-18
Abstract
Gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency that often leads to hospitalization. Hemorrhage of the upper gastrointestinal part is the most common complication of gastric ulcer (peptic ulcer) (1) with high mortality and cost. In spite of the fact that the physical, psychological and social ...
Read More
Gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency that often leads to hospitalization. Hemorrhage of the upper gastrointestinal part is the most common complication of gastric ulcer (peptic ulcer) (1) with high mortality and cost. In spite of the fact that the physical, psychological and social dimensions of health are affected by the climatic elements, there is no detailed information on the effect of these elements on the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in Kerman. Also, the pattern of seasonal fluctuations in gastrointestinal bleeding has not yet been shown. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the relationship between climatic elements such as temperature and atmospheric pressure on the number of gastrointestinal bleeding and its seasonal fluctuations in Kerman. Information about gastrointestinal bleeding of 393 patients recorded in Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman during 2006 and 2007 were studied in relation to seasonal fluctuations and climatic elements such as atmospheric pressure and temperature of the city during the two years mentioned above. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA and T test.The results of the Anova test showed that the number of gastrointestinal bleeding increased in summer and decreased in winter (P = 0.012). Also, Pearson correlation coefficient indicated that there was a direct statistical relation between monthly number of gastrointestinal bleeding cases and mean monthly temperature As with rise in temperature, the number of gastrointestinal bleeding also increased (P = 0.023, r = 0.46). However, the number of gastrointestinal bleeding did not show a significant relationship with the mean pressure of the atmosphere (P = 0.77, r = 0.66).According to the results of this study, the geographical situation and climatic conditions can be considered as one of the factors associated with gastrointestinal bleeding.
