Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients

Aims and Objectives: Environmental pollens are known to cause exacerbation of symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. During pollen months, number of patients visiting hospital has been shown to increase in some studies. However, in India, such studies are lacking. Therefore, we...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nishtha Singh, Udaiveer Singh, Dimple Singh, Mangal Daya, Virendra Singh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
Series:Lung India
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2017;volume=34;issue=2;spage=127;epage=131;aulast=Singh
id doaj-80c6101c6e564ab98e926fb3ca670ea0
record_format Article
spelling doaj-80c6101c6e564ab98e926fb3ca670ea02020-11-24T23:41:29ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsLung India0970-21130974-598X2017-01-0134212713110.4103/0970-2113.201313Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patientsNishtha SinghUdaiveer SinghDimple SinghMangal DayaVirendra SinghAims and Objectives: Environmental pollens are known to cause exacerbation of symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. During pollen months, number of patients visiting hospital has been shown to increase in some studies. However, in India, such studies are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to study pollen counts and to find its correlation with number of new patients attending Asthma Bhawan for 2 years. Materialsx and Methods: Aerobiological sampling was done using Burkard 24 h spore trap system. The site selected for the entrapment of the air spore was the building of Asthma Bhawan situated at Vidhyadhar Nagar, Jaipur. New patients coming with problems of respiratory allergy such as AR or asthma were recruited in the study. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were carried out after obtaining consent in these patients. Monthly pollen counts of trees, weeds and grasses were correlated with the number of new patients. Pollen calendar was prepared for 2 years. Results: Average annual pollen count during 2011 and 2012 were 14,460.5. In the analysis, 37 types of species or families were identified. Pollen count showed two seasonal peaks during March–April and from August to October. January and June showed the lowest pollen counts in 2 years. Average monthly count of grass pollens showed significant correlation with number of new patients (r = 0.59). However, monthly pollen count of trees and weeds did not correlate. The correlation of the pollen count of individual pollen with the SPT positivity to that pollen showed significant correlation with Chenopodium album only. Conclusions: It can be concluded that there were two peaks of pollen count in a year during March–April and August–October. Average monthly pollen counts of grass were significantly correlated with the number of hospital visits of new patients.http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2017;volume=34;issue=2;spage=127;epage=131;aulast=SinghPollen calendarpollen countskin prick test
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Nishtha Singh
Udaiveer Singh
Dimple Singh
Mangal Daya
Virendra Singh
spellingShingle Nishtha Singh
Udaiveer Singh
Dimple Singh
Mangal Daya
Virendra Singh
Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
Lung India
Pollen calendar
pollen count
skin prick test
author_facet Nishtha Singh
Udaiveer Singh
Dimple Singh
Mangal Daya
Virendra Singh
author_sort Nishtha Singh
title Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
title_short Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
title_full Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
title_fullStr Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
title_full_unstemmed Correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
title_sort correlation of pollen counts and number of hospital visits of asthmatic and allergic rhinitis patients
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
series Lung India
issn 0970-2113
0974-598X
publishDate 2017-01-01
description Aims and Objectives: Environmental pollens are known to cause exacerbation of symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. During pollen months, number of patients visiting hospital has been shown to increase in some studies. However, in India, such studies are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to study pollen counts and to find its correlation with number of new patients attending Asthma Bhawan for 2 years. Materialsx and Methods: Aerobiological sampling was done using Burkard 24 h spore trap system. The site selected for the entrapment of the air spore was the building of Asthma Bhawan situated at Vidhyadhar Nagar, Jaipur. New patients coming with problems of respiratory allergy such as AR or asthma were recruited in the study. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were carried out after obtaining consent in these patients. Monthly pollen counts of trees, weeds and grasses were correlated with the number of new patients. Pollen calendar was prepared for 2 years. Results: Average annual pollen count during 2011 and 2012 were 14,460.5. In the analysis, 37 types of species or families were identified. Pollen count showed two seasonal peaks during March–April and from August to October. January and June showed the lowest pollen counts in 2 years. Average monthly count of grass pollens showed significant correlation with number of new patients (r = 0.59). However, monthly pollen count of trees and weeds did not correlate. The correlation of the pollen count of individual pollen with the SPT positivity to that pollen showed significant correlation with Chenopodium album only. Conclusions: It can be concluded that there were two peaks of pollen count in a year during March–April and August–October. Average monthly pollen counts of grass were significantly correlated with the number of hospital visits of new patients.
topic Pollen calendar
pollen count
skin prick test
url http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2017;volume=34;issue=2;spage=127;epage=131;aulast=Singh
work_keys_str_mv AT nishthasingh correlationofpollencountsandnumberofhospitalvisitsofasthmaticandallergicrhinitispatients
AT udaiveersingh correlationofpollencountsandnumberofhospitalvisitsofasthmaticandallergicrhinitispatients
AT dimplesingh correlationofpollencountsandnumberofhospitalvisitsofasthmaticandallergicrhinitispatients
AT mangaldaya correlationofpollencountsandnumberofhospitalvisitsofasthmaticandallergicrhinitispatients
AT virendrasingh correlationofpollencountsandnumberofhospitalvisitsofasthmaticandallergicrhinitispatients
_version_ 1725507064481972224