Air pollution and hospitalization for epilepsy in Chile.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between gaseous and fine particulate air pollution (PM(2.5)) and epilepsy in a general population sample.


METHODS
A daily time-series analyses tested the association between daily hospitalization for epilepsy in seven Chilean urban centers during the period 2001 and 2005. Results were adjusted for long term trends, day-of-the-week, and average humidex on the day of hospitalization and the day before.


RESULTS
Pooled city estimates of relative risk (95% CI) of hospitalization for epilepsy associated with changes in pollutant concentrations equivalent to their interquartile range were: 1.098(1.045, 1.155) for carbon monoxide (CO); 1.100 (1.025, 1.181) for ozone O(3); 1.085 (1.03, 1.144) for sulfur dioxide (SO(2)); 1.108 (1.021, 1.204) for nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)); 1.083(1.038, 1.13) for particulate matter <or= 10 microm diameter (PM(10)); and 1.065(1.002, 1.132) for fine particulate matter <or=2.5 microm diameter (PM(2.5)). These results were not significantly influenced by age, sex, or season.


CONCLUSIONS
Air pollution may be a risk factor for hospitalization for epilepsy.
Cakmak
Sabit
S
Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada, Department of Statistics, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada. sabit_cakmak@hc-sc.gc.ca
Dales
Robert E
RE
Vidal
Claudia Blanco
CB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D012621:Seasons
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter