Temporal patterns in air pollution and hospital admissions

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80043-X· OSTI ID:7065245

Lipfert, F W; Hammerstrom, T ^[1]

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1. Roth Associates, Inc., Rockville, MD (United States)

A 6-year data set of daily counts of admissions to 79 acute care hospitals in Southern Ontario was analyzed in relation to concurrent measurements of air pollution and weather pooled over the same regions, using progressively more sophisticated statistical techniques. The diagnoses studied included a group of respiratory causes and two control diagnoses: accidents and gastrointestinal causes. The 6-year period (1979-1985) was subdivided into six 2-month seasons and the area of study was divided into three subregions. Bivariate correlations were found to be significant more often than expected due to chance for all three admissions variables, but accounting for the temporal variation within the 60-day seasons greatly reduced the significance of the control diagnoses. Twenty-four-hour averages for air quality were found to yield more significant associations than peak hourly concentrations. July-August was the only period not having important within-season temporal trends and also had the lowest daily counts for respiratory admissions. Based on a model which accounted for serial correlation, SO2, ozone, and sulfate aerosol were found to be significant predictors of respiratory admissions during July-August. Using cumulative lags increased the magnitude of the estimated response to about 20% of summer respiratory admissions, but no consistent relationships were found which could identify the responsible pollutant(s) with certainty. Average pollutant concentrations were generally within U.S. ambient standards.

• OSTI ID: 7065245
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Research; (United States) Vol. 59:2; ISSN ENVRAL; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540150* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Site Resources & Use Studies-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACCIDENTS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BUILDINGS
CANADA
DATA ANALYSIS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASE INCIDENCE
DISEASES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HOSPITALS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
MATHEMATICS
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
NORTH AMERICA
ONTARIO
OZONE
POLLUTION
POPULATIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
STATISTICS
WEATHER