SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN EXACERBATIONS OF ALLERGIC RHINITIS AND ASTHMA IN GUARAPUAVA (PR): A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.0159652616043

• Palavras-chave: Asthma; Allergic Rhinitis; Seasonality; Exacerbation; Cross-sectional Studies.

• Keywords: Asthma; Allergic Rhinitis; Seasonality; Exacerbation; Cross-sectional Studies.

• Abstract:

  Allergic rhinitis and asthma are highly prevalent and have a significant clinical impact; seasonality is a potential indirect marker of environmental exposures associated with the occurrence of exacerbations. This study aimed to evaluate the association between indirect environmental and demographic variables and the occurrence of exacerbations in patients with allergic rhinitis associated with asthma, treated at outpatient clinics in the municipality of Guarapuava (PR), Brazil. This is a cross-sectional observational study with retrospective data collection based on a review of medical records of patients aged ≥ 5 years who were treated between 2018 and 2025. The occurrence of exacerbations was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. A total of 193 patients were included. Consultations conducted during spring showed a higher likelihood of exacerbation compared to summer (OR = 4.30; 95% CI: 1.21–16.18; p = 0.027), while winter showed a trend toward an association (OR = 3.49; 95% CI: 1.01–12.66; p = 0.051). The 19–40 age group was also associated with a higher likelihood of exacerbation (OR = 4.31; 95% CI: 1.29–15.21; p = 0.019). It is concluded that seasonality was independently associated with the occurrence of exacerbations, especially in the spring, reinforcing the relevance of seasonal factors in the clinical variability of allergic respiratory diseases in the outpatient setting.