Thunderstorm-Associated Asthma in Shenzhen, China: A Retrospective Case-Control Study of Risk Factors, Clinical Characteristics, and Management Approaches

Objective: To identify risk factors, clinical characteristics, and management approaches associated with thunderstorm-associated asthma (TA) in Shenzhen, China, comparing it with general asthma (GA). Methods: A retrospective case-control study was conducted, including 42 patients with TA who presented with asthma exacerbations following thunderstorms and 361 patients with GA. Demographic variables and inflammatory biomarkers, including absolute eosinophil count (AEC), absolute neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein were evaluated. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were applied to determine discriminative factors. Results: = 0.041), although all individuals received oxygen therapy. Conclusion: /L may aid screening during meteorological alerts, guiding acute management with oxygen, bronchodilators, and corticosteroids while avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.