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Date of Presentation

5-8-2025

Document Type

Article

Faculty Mentor

Benjamin Aaker, MD

Keywords

chest pain, emergency department, lightning, thunderstorms

Subject Categories

Cardiology | Emergency Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

This study investigates the potential association between lightning events,used as a proxy for thunder, and increased emergency department (ED) visits for chest pain and myocardial infarction (MI). Electronic medical records from Avera McKennan Hospital were analyzed for chest pain and MI diagnoses between June 1 and July 31, 2021. Lightning data within a 100-mile radius were obtained from Vaisala and cross-referenced with patient presentation times. Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in chest pain-related ED visits within 0.5 hours and between 2.5 to 5.5 hours following lightning strikes, with p-values ranging from 0.018 to 0.047. Although a trend toward increased MI diagnoses on lightning days was observed, the small sample size limited statistical significance. These findings suggest that acute weather-related noise events may contribute to cardiovascular symptoms, warranting further investigation into environmental stressors and their impact on public health.

Lightning Assocated with More Visits to the ED for Chest Pain

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