Effects of contamination and climate in the Pediatric Emergency Department visits for acute respiratory infection in the City of Buenos Aires.

Abstract

Pollution and climate have an impact on pediatric respiratory diseases; few studies have assessed this in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. To assess the impact of the interaction between air pollutants and climate on the Emergency Department visits for acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) in a children's hospital. Ecological, time-series study with generalized additive models that included total visits and visits for ALRTI to the Emergency Department between 2012 and 2016. A series with 7-day moving averages for ALRTI visits was founded as a bias control measure. Predictors were daily levels of air pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrous dioxide, particulate matter < 10 μ) and meteorological variables (temperature, humidity). Pollutants were measured at three monitoring stations. Temporal variables (day of the week, warm/cold semester) were controlled. There were 455 256 total visits; 17 298 accounted for visits for ALRTI. A correlation was established only between total visits and day of the week (Mondays and Saturdays, more visits; Thursdays, less visits). Less visits for ALRTI were recorded in the warm semester compared to the cold semester (relative risk = 0.23; 95 % confidence interval: 0.29-0.18; p < 0.001). One monitoring station did not show any correlation; the other two stations showed a weak correlation between carbon monoxide and particulate matter < 10 μ and visits for ALRTI. The season accurately accounts for the increased number of total visits and visits for ALRTI. Although there was a correlation between the level of certain pollutants and the number of visits, its impact was irrelevant.