Pediatric Primary Headache Sensitivity to Weather Variables

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship between weather patterns and pediatric Emergency Department visits for primary headache. Methods: A retrospective descriptive correlational design was used. Chart reviews were done on 351 medical records of children less than 18 years of age. Study setting was visits to an Emergency Department at an academic pediatric hospital in the Southwest region of the United States. One calendar year of assessments of weather variables to include temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and barometric pressure were obtained at multiple time points prior to presentation to identify weather-sensitive subsets. In addition, assessments of demographic (date of birth, sex, race, zip code) and clinical variables (chief complaint, diagnoses codes, imaging, medication, and disposition) were collected. Results: Findings indicate that there is a correlation between weather variables and Emergency Department visits in pediatric patients, especially in forecasts of two to five days. Conclusion: A subset of pediatric patients with primary headaches are sensitive to temperature changes within the 5 days preceding the presentation of the headache.