title: [Air pollutants and their correlation with medical visits for acute respiratory infections in children less than five years of age in urban Guadalajara, Mexico].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the correlation between the concentration levels of atmospheric air pollutants and the number of medical visits to IMSS, ISSSTE and of SSJ healthcare facilities of the Urban Area of Guadalajara between 2000-2002 by children under five years suffering from acute respiratory infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ecological study was performed to describe the correlation between the interpolated monthly average modes, monthly mobile average of air pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 microns (PM10) and sulfur dioxide,and the number of medical visits per month due to acute respiratory infections in children under five years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The air pollutants: carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide show a significant correlation with the incidence of acute respiratory infections in children less than five years of age in the Urban Area of Guadalajara. The correlation coefficients were: CO (r= 0.05) and NO2 (r= 0.09).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the concentrations of air pollutants stay below the official limit, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide affect the health of the child population of the Urban Area of Guadalajara. Although the monthly average mode and monthly mobile average does not exceed the established legislation,the registered maximums do exceed it; this indicates that although throughout most of the day there is no latent risk of population exposure to the air pollutants, during some hours of certain days there is a risk for the population of breathing air contaminated with concentrations higher than the limit, which can cause the development of acute respiratory infections.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Astronomía y Meteorología de la Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. ramirez@astro.iam.udg.mx
authors.forename: Hermes Ulises
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Sánchez
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Andrade-García
authors.forename: Miguel Ernesto
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: González-Castañeda
authors.forename: Alfredo de Jesús
authors.initials: Ade J
authors.lastname: Celis-de la Rosa
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008800:Mexico; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014505:Urban Population