2016 Thunderstorm-asthma epidemic in Melbourne, Australia: An analysis of patient characteristics associated with hospitalization

NS Harun; P Lachapelle; G Bowatte; C Lodge; G Braitberg; L Irving; T Hinks; S Dharmage; J Douglass

Journal article

2016 Thunderstorm-asthma epidemic in Melbourne, Australia: An analysis of patient characteristics associated with hospitalization

NS Harun, P Lachapelle, G Bowatte, C Lodge, G Braitberg, L Irving, T Hinks, S Dharmage, J Douglass

Canadian Journal of Respiratory Critical Care and Sleep Medicine | TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC | Published : 2021

DOI: 10.1080/24745332.2020.1727301

Abstract

RATIONALE: On November 21, 2016 in Australia, a major thunderstorm-asthma epidemic struck Melbourne with an unprecedented number of emergency presentations, hospital admissions and fatalities. OBJECTIVES: We identified affected patients who presented to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, an adult tertiary center in North-West Melbourne. We aimed to characterize individual patient factors associated with hospital admission and identify biomarkers in patient subgroups that are at risk of being severely affected by thunderstorm-asthma. METHODS: Cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of demographics of 240 patients presenting to The Royal Melbourne Hospital on November 21 to 22, 2016 post thundersto..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Gayan Bowatte Author

Caroline Lodge Author

George Braitberg Author

Louis Irving Author

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Medical Research Future Fund through the Rapid Applied Research Translation impact fund administered by the Melbourne Academic Center for Health.