Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the number of visits to a pediatric emergency department due to asthma attacks and air pollutants. 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. 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. 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.
Published Version
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