Approach to wildfire-related health impacts

To describe the health impacts of wildfires on patients and provide a structured approach for family physicians and other primary care providers in preventing, managing, and monitoring these impacts.

This review draws on a structured search of Ovid MEDLINE for articles published in the past decade on wildfires, with a focus on clinical relevance to primary care. Additional targeted searches were conducted using Google and Google Scholar to identify grey literature, professional association guidelines, and secondary citations. Guidance from governmental organizations such as the Public Health Agency of Canada and the United States Environmental Protection Agency was also reviewed.

Wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity, and there is growing evidence of their health impacts. These include both immediate and delayed effects of exposure to various air pollutants from fires, consequences for displaced people, and psychological stress. This article summarizes the known health impacts of wildfires and presents a structured approach for interventions in primary care, including patient education, identification of high-risk individuals, optimization of condition-specific management, and monitoring of immediate- and long-term health effects. Quick references, along with additional details and links, are provided to identify higher-risk patients and review major interventions.

Family physicians and their teams are well positioned to address the health impacts of wildfires. Through education, management of acute and chronic conditions, and ongoing monitoring, they can play a pivotal role in mitigating the negative health consequences of wildfire exposure.