Page 31 - Revista Portuguesa - SPORL - Vol 62. Nº1
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and their mean age was 54.9 (±14.8) years. was December (1024.80 hPa) (Figure 2b). The
There were 62 male (34.8%) and 116 female month with the highest average humidity was
(65.2%). The number of females was 1.87 times February (86%) and the month with lowest
higher than that of male. The clinical charts humidity was July (55.6%) (Figure 3c). Total
revealed that the posterior semicircular canal cloud amount was the lowest in July (10.4%),
was the most frequently involved, 101 patients and the highest in December (48.6%) (Figure
(56.7%). The right side was affected in 99 2d). The lowest month for daylight time hours
patients (55.6%) and the left side in 79 (44.4%). was December (9.52 h) and the highest month
was June (14.88 h) (Figure 2e). The month with
Seasonality of BPPV the lowest value of sunshine amount was
The weekly number of patients diagnosed December (1.40 KWh) and the month with the
with BPPV is presented in Figure 1. The highest amount was July (8.02 KWh) (Figure
average number of BPPV patients per week 2f). The association between the weekly
was 3.42. A seasonality variation was found in number of BPPV patients and the weekly
the incidence of BPPV, with a lower number mean value of climate factors are presented in
of patients diagnosed with BPPV in the Figure 3. Simple correlation analysis revealed
summer months (p = 0.0002), despite an a significant negative association between
increase in the total number of patients in atmospheric temperature (r = -0.5215, p =
the Otorhinolaryngology emergency room (p 0.000063), daylight time (r = -0.4024, p =
= 0.0008) in this period. The winter months 0. 002847) and solar radiation (r = -0.4463,
correspond to the period the most cases of p = 0.000817) with the number of BPPV
BPPV. patients diagnosed per week. A positive and
significant association was found between
Association to climatic factors cloud amount and the incidence of BPPV (r =
Weekly distribution of climate factors can be 0.537, p = 0.000034). No statistically significant
seen in Figure 2. The average temperature was association was found between atmospheric
the lowest in January (8.25 °C) and the highest pressure (r = -0.0366, p = 0.798015) or humidity
in August (23.50 °C) (Figure 2a). The month (r = 0.2525, p = 0.068707) with the incidence of
with the lowest atmospheric pressure was BPPV.
February (1013.75 hPa) and the highest month
Figure 1
The number of patients diagnosed with idiopathic BPPV per week.
Volume 62 . Nº1 . Março 2024 31
