The relationship of air pollution to ED visits for asthma differ between children and adults.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between air pollution and asthma exacerbation in children and adults. Pearson analysis was used to establish correlations between air pollutants-sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microm or less (PM(10))--and ED visits for asthma in 2004. Among children, there were significant positive correlations between nitrogen dioxide (r = 0.72), carbon monoxide (r = 0.65), and PM(10) (r = 0.63) and ED visits for asthma. Among adults, only weakly positive, non significant correlations between all air pollution measures and ED visits for asthma were found. This study suggests that air pollution plays a role in acute exacerbation of asthma in children but not in adults.
Sun
Hai-Lun
HL
Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
Chou
Ming-Chieh
MC
Lue
Ko-Huang
KH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D000393:Air Pollutants