Influence of Air Pollution on Hospital Admissions in Adult Asthma in Northeast China

Chin Med J (Engl). 2018 May 5;131(9):1030-1033. doi: 10.4103/0366-6999.230735.

Abstract
in English, Chinese

Background: Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease and is related to air pollution exposure. However, only a few studies have concentrated on the association between air pollution and adult asthma. Moreover, the results of these studies are controversial. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze the influence of various pollutants on hospitalization due to asthma in adults.

Methods: A total of 1019 unrelated hospitalized adult asthma patients from Northeast China were recruited from 2014 to 2016. Daily average concentrations of air pollutants (particulate matter <2.5 μm [PM2.5], particulate matter <10 μm [PM10], sulfur dioxide [SO2], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], and carbon monoxide [CO]) were obtained from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre website from 2014 to 2016. Cox logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between air pollutants and hospital admissions in adult asthma.

Results: The maximum odds ratio (OR) value for most air pollutants occurred on lag day 1. Lag day 1 was chosen as the exposure period, and 8 days before onset was chosen as the control period. Three pollutants (PM2.5, CO, and SO2) were entered into the regression equation, and the corresponding OR (95% confidence interval) was 0.995 (0.991-0.999), 3.107 (1.607-6.010), and 0.979 (0.968-0.990), respectively.

Conclusions: A positive association between hospital admissions and the daily average concentration of CO was observed. CO is likely to be a risk factor for hospital admissions in adults with asthma.

空气污染对中国东北地区成人支气管哮喘住院的影响摘要背景：支气管哮喘是一种常见的慢性呼吸系统疾病，与大气污染暴露有关。然而，仅有一些研究集中在大气污染与成人支气管哮喘的关系方面，且这些研究结果并不一致。本研究旨在探讨多种大气污染物对成人支气管哮喘住院的影响。 方法：收集自2014年至2016年住院的中国东北地区成人支气管哮喘患者，共1019名。从中国环境监测总站网站上获取2014年至2016年患者所在地区的日平均大气污染物（PM2.5、PM10、SO2、NO2、CO）浓度，应用Cox回归分析空气污染物与成人支气管哮喘患者住院之间的关系。 结果：滞后效应分析显示多数大气污染物的最大OR值出现在发病前1天，因此，以发病前1天为暴露期、发病前8天为对照期，共有3种污染物（PM2.5、CO 和SO2）被纳入回归方程，OR (95%CI) 分别是0.995 (0.991-0.999)、3.107 (1.607-6.010)和0.979 (0.968-0.990)。 结论：成人支气管哮喘住院与日平均CO浓度存在正相关，CO可能是成人支气管哮喘患者住院的危险因素。.

Keywords: Air Pollution; Asthma; Carbon Monoxide; Particulate Matter; Sulfur Dioxide.

MeSH terms

  • Air Pollutants / toxicity
  • Air Pollution / adverse effects*
  • Asthma / epidemiology*
  • Carbon Monoxide / toxicity
  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Particulate Matter / toxicity
  • Risk Factors
  • Sulfur Dioxide / toxicity

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Particulate Matter
  • Sulfur Dioxide
  • Carbon Monoxide