Excessive admission burden of unspecified asthma attributable to air pollution: an evidence from Chengdu in China

Abstract

The association of asthma health outcome and air pollution has been widely investigated. Meanwhile, from a macro perspective, it cannot be ignored the enormous pressure on regional medical services resulting from a large number of hospitalization needs after the exposure to air pollution. This study is aimed at assessing the admission risk and excessive burden attributable to ambient air pollution in different unspecified asthma groups. We analyzed 6,663 medical claims of unspecified asthma patients from different levels of hospitals, air pollution, and meteorological conditions in Chengdu of China during 2014. The distinct impacts of air pollution on hospital admissions stratified by gender and age were revealed. When air pollution attacks, female patients and young and middle-aged patients (≤65) are more vulnerable to PM10 and SO2. In contrast to patients suffering from asthmatic bronchitis, the patients suffering from bronchial asthma are more susceptible to air pollution. And the percentage changes of admissions attributable to PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 reached by 1.046 (95%CI: 1.0088, 1.0846), 1.0419 (95%CI: 1.0117, 1.073), and 1.4049 (95%CI: 1.1011, 1.7925). Based on the WHO’s air quality standards, the excessive admission burden of unspecified asthma due to overexposure to PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 were estimated by 15.42% (95%CI: 1.81%, 25.92%), 20.50% (95%CI: 6.80%, 30.92%), and 10.13% (95%CI: 1.67%, 14.96%), respectively. It is concluded that female patients and young and middle-aged patients suffering from bronchial asthma are susceptible to PM10, PM2.5, and SO2, causing the excessive admission burden in Chengdu of China.