Influences of climate change on admissions to the emergency department in Al Baha City, KSA: A frequency analysis study

Being a primary healthcare facility that receives most patient cases, especially critical ones, the Emergency Department is one of the most important departments in the hospital.The aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of climate change on the frequencies of admissions to the Emergency Department in Al Baha City, KSA.A retrospective frequency analysis study was conducted in the intended hospitals.A total of 82,254 patients were admitted to the Emergency Department during the period from January to December 2023.A comparison of disease cases admitted to the emergency department and patient characteristics (age, sex, gender, etc.) across months was included in the analysis.As a result, gastrointestinal conditions, respiratory system conditions, cardiovascular diseases, car accidents, diabetes, and snake bites constituted the largest percentage of cases, some of which were influenced by weather fluctuations.The findings suggest there may be an association between certain emergency disease frequencies and climate change, as well as the high altitude of the area situated between mountain chains.Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of health education, particularly vaccination, adopting healthy habits suited to changing weather conditions, and adhering to traffic instructions during foggy weather and the fall season to reduce traffic accidents.