Increased pulmonary circulatory disease diagnosis risk associated with heatwave

Abstract

Observational studies suggest that increased chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk is associated with prolonged, high ambient temperatures (i.e., heatwaves). Yet, reports of pulmonary circulatory disease (PCD) risk associated with heatwaves are elusive. Faced with evidence of a changing global climate, local public health practitioners must now assess disease risk associated with climate change phenomena in their communities. Determine the relative odds of pulmonary circulatory diagnosis among subjects admitted to hospital emergency departments (EDs) from 29 May 2012 to 3 August 2012 and subjects admitted to the ED during the same calendar days in 2011 in Douglas County, NE. A retrospective, observational, case-control design was used to estimate PCD diagnosis risk using conditional logistic regression. The estimated PCD diagnosis odds ratio was 4.35 (95% CI = 1.08 – 17.57). In Douglas County NE the risk of PCD diagnoses was higher in the ED population admitted from 28 May to 3 August 2012 than the ED population admitted during the same calendar days in 2011.