The seasonal variation of infection and disease exacerbations has implications for clinical management, epidemiology and health service planning.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is a serious and relatively common cause of hospital admissions.
For community acquired pneumonia in general, the reported incidence figures for adults vary between one and 4.7 per 1000 adults annually. This retrospective study investigates the seasonal variation of pneumococcal pneumonia in patients admitted to Waterford Regional Hospital. Readmissions with the same discharge diagnosis were excluded. This study demonstrates a seasonal variation in community acquired pneumococcal pneumonia with a tendancy towards a greater frequency of admissions with this diagnosis in winter and early spring. J Cuddihy Waterford Regional Hospital, Dunmore Road, Waterford References 1.