WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The British Medical Journal reports that emergency room visits for kids increase as temperatures increase. Authors of the study, which appeared in an online edition of the Emergency Medicine Journal, based their research on patterns of hospital treatments in 21 emergency rooms throughout England between 1996 and 2006. As noted in a previous column, their data found that with every five degree increase in temperature, admissions increased for kids. A drop in temperature by five degrees increased adult admissions by 3% while increasing snowfall elevated the admissions to 8%. The authors of the report studied numerous trauma units over various locations for an extended period of time, recognizing a strong relationship between recorded weather and trauma admissions. This analysis could better prepare hospital staff for changes in admission rates.