title: Consequences of exposure to Asian dust storm events on daily pneumonia hospital admissions in Taipei, Taiwan.
abstract: In spring, windblown dust storms originating in the deserts of Mongolia and China travel to Taipei city. These occurrences are known as Asian dust storm (ADS) events. The objective of this study was to assess the possible associations of constituents of ADS with hospital pneumonia admissions of residents in Taipei, Taiwan, during the period 1996-2001. Fifty-four dust storm episodes were identified and were classified as index days. Daily pneumonia admissions on the index days were compared with admissions on comparison days. Two comparison days for each index day, 7 d before the index days and 7 d after the index days, were selected. The study results indicated a statistically significant association between ADS events and daily pneumonia admissions 1 d after the event. It is worthwhile to pay more attention to ADS events and health in the future based on the findings in this investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Fen
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shu-Chen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Hui-Fen
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Trong-Neng
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Pei-Shih
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Yuh
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004190:Disasters; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010316:Particle Size; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust