The association between air pollution and weather conditions with increase in the number of admissions of asthmatic patients in emergency wards: a case study in Kermanshah

BACKGROUND Industrialization and urbanization had a devastating impact on public health and caused an increase in health related morbidity and mortality. In fact, asthma is a chronic condition which is considered as one of the significant challenges of public health. In this study, we investigated the association of air pollution and weather conditions with excess emergency ward admissions of asthmatic patients in Kermanshah hospitals. METHODS This was an ecological study. The total number of hospital admissions to emergency wards from all related and major hospitals of Kermanshah was collected from September 2008 through August 2009. In addition, data on air pollution as well as meteorological data were collected from the Environmental Protection Agency and Meteorological Organization of Kermanshah. To determine the association between the number of hospitalization due to asthma with those parameters, Poisson regression was used. RESULTS The results of Poisson regression revealed a significant association between carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and temperature with emergency room visits due to asthma in Kermanshah. No associations were found for sulfur dioxide or for particulate matter. CONCLUSION This study provides further evidence for the significant effect of monoxide carbon on asthma; and it suggests that temperature may have a role in the exacerbation of asthma. However, due to the multi-factorial nature of asthma, other factors also play a major role in the development and exacerbation of this illness.