TY - JOUR
T1 - Emergency room visits of asthmatic children, to air pollution, weather, and relation airborne allergens
AU - Garty, Ben Zion
AU - Kosman, Evsey
AU - Ganor, Eli
AU - Berger, Victor
AU - Garty, Limor
AU - Wietzen, Tova
AU - Waisman, Yeheskel
AU - Mimouni, Mark
AU - Waisel, Yoav
N1 - Funding Information:
* Kipper Institute of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, and §Pediatric Emergency Department, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, ‡Institute for Research of Environmental Quality, Ministry of Environment, Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Background: The worldwide increase in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma may suggest that environmental factors play a role in these epidemiologic changes. Objective: To examine the correlations between air pollutants, weather conditions, airborne allergens, and the incidence of emergency room (ER) visits of children with acute asthma attacks. Design: One-year prospective study. Data of daily concentration of air pollutants, weather conditions, and selective airborne allergens were collected and compared with the number of ER visits of asthmatic children. Subjects: 1076 asthmatic children (aged 1 to 18 years) who presented at the Pediatric ER between January 1 and December 31, 1993. Results: Correlations between fluctuations in ER visits of asthmatic children and various environmental parameters were more relevant for weekly than for daily values. Emergency room visits correlated positively with concentrations of NO(x), SO2 and with high barometric pressure; and negatively with O3 concentration and minimal and maximal temperature. There were no significant correlations with concentrations of particulates, humidity, or airborne pollen and spores. An exceptionally high incidence of ER visits of asthmatic children was observed during September. This peak coincided with the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays. The correlations between ER visits and the environmental factors increased significantly when the September peak was excluded, revealing that 61% of the variance in ER visits was explained by NO(x), SO2, and O3 concentrations, 46% by weather parameters, 66% by NO(x), SO2 and barometric pressure, and 69% by the combination of air pollutants and weather parameters. Conclusion: The major factors found to be associated with ER visits of asthmatic children were high NO(x), high SO2, and high barometric pressure. Negative correlation was found between ER visits of asthmatic children and ozone concentrations. The particularly high number of ER visits at the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays was probably associated with an increase in the number of viral infections and/or emotional stress.
AB - Background: The worldwide increase in the incidence, prevalence, and severity of asthma may suggest that environmental factors play a role in these epidemiologic changes. Objective: To examine the correlations between air pollutants, weather conditions, airborne allergens, and the incidence of emergency room (ER) visits of children with acute asthma attacks. Design: One-year prospective study. Data of daily concentration of air pollutants, weather conditions, and selective airborne allergens were collected and compared with the number of ER visits of asthmatic children. Subjects: 1076 asthmatic children (aged 1 to 18 years) who presented at the Pediatric ER between January 1 and December 31, 1993. Results: Correlations between fluctuations in ER visits of asthmatic children and various environmental parameters were more relevant for weekly than for daily values. Emergency room visits correlated positively with concentrations of NO(x), SO2 and with high barometric pressure; and negatively with O3 concentration and minimal and maximal temperature. There were no significant correlations with concentrations of particulates, humidity, or airborne pollen and spores. An exceptionally high incidence of ER visits of asthmatic children was observed during September. This peak coincided with the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays. The correlations between ER visits and the environmental factors increased significantly when the September peak was excluded, revealing that 61% of the variance in ER visits was explained by NO(x), SO2, and O3 concentrations, 46% by weather parameters, 66% by NO(x), SO2 and barometric pressure, and 69% by the combination of air pollutants and weather parameters. Conclusion: The major factors found to be associated with ER visits of asthmatic children were high NO(x), high SO2, and high barometric pressure. Negative correlation was found between ER visits of asthmatic children and ozone concentrations. The particularly high number of ER visits at the beginning of the school year and the Jewish holidays was probably associated with an increase in the number of viral infections and/or emotional stress.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032425455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62707-X
DO - 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)62707-X
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C2 - 9892028
AN - SCOPUS:0032425455
SN - 1081-1206
VL - 81
SP - 563
EP - 570
JO - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
JF - Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
IS - 6
ER -
