Evaluation of the Relationship Between Air Pollutants and Emergency Department Admissions with Childhood Asthma
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Yakup Söğütlü1, Uğur Altaş2, Tuğba Altıntaş3
1Pediatric Emergency Medicine Clinic, Ümraniye Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul 34764, Turkey.
Insights
Pediatric asthma emergency visits are linked to air quality. Increased nitrogen oxides (NO, NOx, NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) correlate with more visits, while sulfur dioxide (SO2) shows a decrease.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Asthma is a significant pediatric respiratory illness.
- Emergency department visits for pediatric asthma are common.
- The impact of environmental air pollutants on asthma exacerbations requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between pediatric asthma emergency visits and specific air pollutants.
- To analyze the relationship between air quality and asthma attack frequency in children.
Main Methods:
- Ecological study design.
- Inclusion of pediatric asthma patients visiting a tertiary hospital emergency department (Jan 2016-Dec 2023).
- Negative binomial regression and factor analysis to assess air pollution effects.
Main Results:
- A rise in nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) correlated with increased asthma visits.
- Elevated levels of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) were associated with a higher number of asthma-related emergency visits.
- Increased sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels showed a decrease in asthma emergency visits, suggesting complex interactions.
Conclusions:
- Environmental monitoring and public awareness regarding air pollutant exposure are crucial for managing childhood asthma.
- The inverse relationship between SO2 and asthma visits warrants further investigation into confounding factors.
- Additional research is needed to fully understand the environmental determinants of pediatric asthma exacerbations.
Background:
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the number of visits to a pediatric emergency department due to asthma attacks and air pollutants.
Methods:
In this ecological study, all pediatric patients who visited the pediatric emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Istanbul with asthma between January 2016 and December 2023 were included. The effect of air pollution on the number of patient visits was analyzed using a negative binomial regression model.
Results:
Based on the negative binomial model, a one-unit increase in SO2 leads to a 0.020-unit decrease in the logarithm of the number of patient visits (p < 0.05). A one-unit increase in NO leads to a 0.040-unit increase in the logarithm of the number of patient visits (p < 0.05). According to factor analysis, as the levels of NO, NOx, PM2.5, NO2, and PM10 in the air increase, the number of patient visits also increases; however, as the level of SO2 increases, the number of patient visits decreases.
Conclusions:
Families should be informed about environmental exposures for disease management of children with asthma. The confounding factors may also play a role in SO2 level and the decrease in admissions due to asthma. Further studies are needed in this regard.
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