Extreme Climate Changes: Impact on Acute Heart Diseases at Assiut University Heart Hospital.

Abstract

Background: Climate changes have a variety of negative effects on health, including cardiac health. People with pre-existing medical conditions such as acute cardiovascular disease and people carrying out physically demanding work and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of extreme climate Changes on acute heart diseases at Assiut University Heart Hospital. Research design: Descriptive and correlational research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in Coronary Care Unit and emergency heart unit at Assiut University Heart Hospital. Patients: 130 adult male and female patients diagnosed with acute heart diseases involved in this study. Tools: three tools were utilized; acute heart diseases patient assessment sheet, climate changes assessment sheet and patient outcomes tool. Results: It was observed that more than half of the studied patients more than half of the study sample (60.8%) admitted to coronary care unit in summer. Also, It documented that there was a positive correlation between partial thromboplastin time and temperature (p=0.007). Conclusion: It concluded that more than half of the studied patients admitted to the coronary care unit in the summer were diagnosed with ST-Elevation myocardial infarction and come from rural areas. Moreover, partial thromboplastin time and temperature were positively correlated. Rain and temperature had a positive effect on the duration of the stay in the coronary care unit. Recommendation: The current study recommends that more studies are necessary to evaluate other different effects of climate change on patients with acute cardiac disease.