A 10-year survey on asthma exacerbations: Relationships among emergency medicine calls, pollens, weather, and air pollution

作者：Ruffoni S; Passalacqua G; Ricciardolo F; Furgani A; Negrini A Corrado; De Amici M; Ciprandi G^*

来源：Revue Francaise d'Allergologie, 2013, 53(7): 569-575.

DOI：10.1016/j.reval.2013.05.003

• Asthma
• Exacerbation
• Emergency call
• Pollens
• Weather
• Air pollution

Background. - Asthma exacerbation is an episode of worsening of asthmatic symptoms Exacerbations may depend on environmental factors. Therefore, this study investigated possible relationship between emergency calls for exacerbation in adult patients with asthma and environmental factors, including pollen count, meteorological parameters, and air pollution in Genoa (Italy) during a 10-year period. %26lt;br%26gt;Methods. - Emergency calls for exacerbation were recorded for 10 years (2002-2011) in Genoa. Betulaceae, Urticaceae (including Parietaria), Gramineae, and Oleaceae pollen counts were measured. Meteorological parameters and air pollutants were also measured in the same area and in the same period. %26lt;br%26gt;Results. - The number of emergency calls did not modify over the time. There were significant relationships between emergency calls and pollens during the spring (r = 0.498), rainfall (r = 0.818), wind speed (r = 0.727), and air pollutants (r = 0.622 for SO2; r = 0.699 for NO; r = 0.58 for NO2). %26lt;br%26gt;Conclusions. - This 10-year survey demonstrates that i) asthma exacerbations did not diminish over the time, ii) there were seasonal peaks (fall and spring), iii) pollens (mainly Parietaria), wind speed and rainfall, SO2, NO, and NO2 were strongly associated with asthma exacerbations in patients with asthma in this area. Therefore, asthma exacerbations may depend on environmental changes.

• 出版日期2013-11