Abstract
The air pollution in China is a severe problem. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of air pollutants on acute respiratory outcomes in outpatients. Outpatient data from 2 December 2013 to 1 December 2014 were collected, as well as air pollutant data including ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). We screened six categories of acute respiratory outcomes and analyzed their associations with different air pollutant exposures, including upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), acute bronchitis (AB), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), acute exacerbation of asthma (AE-asthma), and acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis (AEBX). A case-crossover design with a bidirectional control sampling approach was used for statistical analysis. A total of 57,144 patients were enrolled for analysis. PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO exposures were positively associated with outpatient visits for URTI, AB, CAP, and AEBX. PM10, SO2, and CO exposures were positively associated with outpatient visits for AECOPD. Exposure to O3 was positively associated with outpatient visits for AE-asthma, but negatively associated with outpatient visits for URTI, CAP, and AEBX. In conclusion, air pollutants had acute effects on outpatient visits for acute respiratory outcomes, with specific outcomes associated with specific pollutants.
Highlights
Air pollution has become an increasing concern in China, with Beijing being located in the area most seriously affected by haze [1]
Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of air pollutants on hospitalization, emergency visits, and mortality associated with multiple acute respiratory outcomes
A total of 57,144 patients with acute respiratory outcomes were included for analysis, including 36,615 cases of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), 10,868 cases of acute bronchitis (AB), 7015 cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), 1015 cases of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), 459 cases of AE-asthma, and 1172 cases of AEBX
Summary
Air pollution has become an increasing concern in China, with Beijing being located in the area most seriously affected by haze [1]. Air pollutants are proven to have multiple adverse influences on human health, with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems being most commonly involved. Air pollutants have both acute and chronic effects on the respiratory system. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of air pollutants on hospitalization, emergency visits, and mortality associated with multiple acute respiratory outcomes. These studies are largely based on correlations of epidemiological and environmental data. Ozone (O3 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5 )
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