The impact of thunderstorm asthma on emergency department attendances across London during July 2013
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study illustrates the potential of using emergency department attendance data, routinely accessed as part of a national syndromic surveillance system, to monitor the impact of thunderstorm asthma. METHODS: The Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance System (EDSSS) routinely monitors anonymised attendance data on a daily basis across a sentinel network of 35 emergency departments. Attendance data for asthma, wheeze and difficulty breathing are analysed on a daily basis. RESULTS: A statistically significant spike in asthma attendances in two EDSSS emergency departments in London was detected on 23 July 2013, coinciding with a series of large violent thunderstorms across southern England. There was also an increase in the reported severity of these attendances. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary report illustrates the potential of the EDSSS to monitor the impact of thunderstorms on emergency department asthma attendances. Further work will focus on how this system can be used to quantify the impact on emergency departments, thus potentially improving resource planning and also adding to the thunderstorm asthma evidence-base.
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On 21 November 2016, Melbourne, Australia, experienced a thunderstorm asthma health emergency that exceeded all previously reported thunderstorm asthma events.
“On the 21st of November 2016, Melbourne, Australia, experienced a thunderstorm asthma health emergency (106, 107) that exceeded all previously reported thunderstorm asthma events [mainly in the UK and Australia (135, 136)].”
From Epidemiology of Asthma in Children and Adults (2019) · cites this paper as [135]
Cites
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Epidemiology of Asthma in Children and Adults
Dharmage, S. C., Perret, J. L., & Custovic, A. (2019) · Frontiers in Pediatrics · doi:10.3389/fped.2019.00246 · Cited by 1,200 · see citing works
Andrew, E., Nehme, Z., Bernard, S., Abramson, M. J., Newbigin, E., Piper, B., Dunlop, J., Holman, P., & Smith, K. (2017) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.j5636 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma: Lessons Learned from the Storm Down-Under
Price, D., Hughes, K. M., Thien, F., & Suphioglu, C. (2021) · The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice · doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2020.10.022 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
- Authors
- Elliot, A. J., Hughes, H. E., Hughes, T. C., Locker, T. E., Brown, R., Sarran, C., Clewlow, Y., Murray, V, Bone, A., Catchpole, M., McCloskey, B., & Smith, G. E.
- Affiliations
- Public Health England (GB)
- John Radcliffe Hospital (GB)
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (GB)
- Met Office (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Elliot, A J
- ORCID
- Venue
- Emergency Medicine Journal
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2013-10-07
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 675-678
- ISSN
- 1351-0622 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-0205
- 1472-0213
- OpenAlex
- W2016503143
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 2.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Emergency Medicine Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- College of Emergency Medicine
- Public Health England
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Keywords
- thunderstorm asthma, emergency department visits, syndromic surveillance, asthma, wheezing, thunderstorms, London
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Asthma, Emergency Service, Hospital, Female, Humans, London, Male, Middle Aged, Seasons, Weather, Incidence, Young Adult, Public Health Surveillance
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