scholarly journals Risk of ambulance services associated with ambient temperature, fine particulate and its constituents

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Kai Lin ◽  
Chia-Pei Cheng ◽  
Ho Kim ◽  
Yu-Chun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Respiratory Distress ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Poisson Function ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Mass Concentrations

AbstractShort-term adverse health effects of constituents of fine particles with aerodynamic diameters less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5) have been revealed. This study aimed to evaluate the real-time health outcome of ambulance services in association with ambient temperature and mass concentrations of total PM2.5 level and constituents in Kaohsiung City, an industrialized city with the worst air quality in Taiwan. Cumulative 6-day (lag0-5) relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of daily ambulance services records of respiratory distress, coma and unconsciousness, chest pain, headaches/dizziness/vertigo/fainting/syncope, lying at public, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in association with ambient temperature and mass concentrations of total PM2.5 level and constituents (nitrate, sulfate, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC)) from 2006 to 2010 were evaluated using a distributed lag non-linear model with quasi-Poisson function. Ambulance services of chest pain and OHCA were significantly associated with extreme high (30.8 °C) and low (18.2 °C) temperatures, with cumulative 6-day RRs ranging from 1.37 to 1.67 at the reference temperature of 24–25 °C. Daily total PM2.5 level had significant effects on ambulance services of lying at public and respiratory distress. After adjusting the cumulative 6-day effects of temperature and total PM2.5 level, RRs of ambulance services of lying at public associated with constituents at 90th percentile versus 25th percentile were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.68) for sulfate and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.41) for EC, while RR was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.09–1.58) for ambulance services of headache/dizziness/vertigo/fainting/syncope in association with OC at 90th percentile versus 25th percentile. Cause-specific ambulance services had various significant association with daily temperature, total PM2.5 level, and concentrations of constituents. Elemental carbon may have stronger associations with increased ambulance services than other constituents.

scholarly journals Emergency medical services evaluations for chest pain during first COVID-19 lockdown in Hollands-Midden, the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 224-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. de Koning ◽  
M. J. Boogers ◽  
J. Bosch ◽  
M. de Visser ◽  
M. J. Schalij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chest Pain ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Cardiac Symptoms ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
St Elevation ◽  
Pain Patients ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstract Objective To assess whether the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 had negative indirect health effects, as people seem to have been reluctant to seek medical care. Methods All emergency medical services (EMS) transports for chest pain or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the Dutch region Hollands-Midden (population served > 800,000) were evaluated during the initial 6 weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown and during the same time period in 2019. The primary endpoint was the number of evaluated chest pain patients in both cohorts. In addition, the number of EMS evaluations of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and OHCA were assessed. Results During the COVID-19 lockdown period, the EMS evaluated 927 chest pain patients (49% male, age 62 ± 17 years) compared with 1041 patients (51% male, 63 ± 17 years) in the same period in 2019, which corresponded with a significant relative risk (RR) reduction of 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81–0.96). Similarly, there was a significant reduction in the number of STEMI patients (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32–0.85), the incidence of OHCA remained unchanged (RR 1.23, 95% CI 0.83–1.83). Conclusion During the first COVID-19 lockdown, there was a significant reduction in the number of patients with chest pain or STEMI evaluated by the EMS, while the incidence of OHCA remained similar. Although the reason for the decrease in chest pain and STEMI consultations is not entirely clear, more attention should be paid to the importance of contacting the EMS in case of suspected cardiac symptoms in possible future lockdowns.

scholarly journals Changes in ambient temperature increase hospital outpatient visits for allergic rhinitis in Xinxiang, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhui Gao ◽  
Mengxue Lu ◽  
Yinzhen Sun ◽  
Jingyao Wang ◽  
Zhen An ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Hospital Outpatient ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Outpatient Visits ◽  
Daily Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The effect of ambient temperature on allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unclear. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the relationship between ambient temperature and the risk of AR outpatients in Xinxiang, China. Method Daily data of outpatients for AR, meteorological conditions, and ambient air pollution in Xinxiang, China were collected from 2015 to 2018. The lag-exposure-response relationship between daily mean temperature and the number of hospital outpatient visits for AR was analyzed by distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). Humidity, long-time trends, day of the week, public holidays, and air pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were controlled as covariates simultaneously. Results A total of 14,965 AR outpatient records were collected. The relationship between ambient temperature and AR outpatients was generally M-shaped. There was a higher risk of AR outpatient when the temperature was 1.6–9.3 °C, at a lag of 0–7 days. Additionally, the positive association became significant when the temperature rose to 23.5–28.5 °C, at lag 0–3 days. The effects were strongest at the 25th (7 °C) percentile, at lag of 0–7 days (RR: 1.32, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.05–1.67), and at the 75th (25 °C) percentile at a lag of 0–3 days (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.29), respectively. Furthermore, men were more sensitive to temperature changes than women, and the younger groups appeared to be more influenced. Conclusions Both mild cold and mild hot temperatures may significantly increase the risk of AR outpatients in Xinxiang, China. These findings could have important public health implications for the occurrence and prevention of AR.

scholarly journals Influence of Indoor Temperature Exposure on Emergency Department Visits Due to Infectious and Non-Infectious Respiratory Diseases for Older People

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5273
Author(s):  
Chien-Cheng Jung ◽  
Nai-Tzu Chen ◽  
Ying-Fang Hsia ◽  
Nai-Yun Hsu ◽  
Huey-Jen Su
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Heating Season ◽  
Indoor Temperature ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Poisson Function ◽  
Temperature Exposure

Previous studies have demonstrated that outdoor temperature exposure was an important risk factor for respiratory diseases. However, no study investigates the effect of indoor temperature exposure on respiratory diseases and further assesses cumulative effect. The objective of this study is to study the cumulative effect of indoor temperature exposure on emergency department visits due to infectious (IRD) and non-infectious (NIRD) respiratory diseases among older adults. Subjects were collected from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database in Taiwan. The cumulative degree hours (CDHs) was used to assess the cumulative effect of indoor temperature exposure. A distributed lag nonlinear model with quasi-Poisson function was used to analyze the association between CDHs and emergency department visits due to IRD and NIRD. For IRD, there was a significant risk at 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 °C when the CDHs exceeded 69, 40, 14, 5, and 1 during the cooling season (May to October), respectively, and at 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 °C when the CDHs exceeded 8, 1, 1, 35, and 62 during the heating season (November to April), respectively. For NIRD, there was a significant risk at 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 °C when the CDHs exceeded 1, 1, 16, 36, and 52 during the heating season, respectively; the CDHs at 1 was only associated with the NIRD at 31 °C during the cooling season. Our data also indicated that the CDHs was lower among men than women. We conclude that the cumulative effects of indoor temperature exposure should be considered to reduce IRD risk in both cooling and heating seasons and NIRD risk in heating season and the cumulative effect on different gender.

Ambient temperatures, heatwaves and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Brisbane, Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-107018
Author(s):  
Tan N Doan ◽  
Daniel Wilson ◽  
Stephen Rashford ◽  
Emma Bosley
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Reference Temperature ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Exposure Response ◽  
Heat Threshold ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

BackgroundThe health impacts of temperatures are gaining attention in Australia and worldwide. While a number of studies have investigated the association of temperatures with the risk of cardiovascular diseases, few examined out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and none have done so in Australia. This study examined the exposure–response relationship between temperatures, including heatwaves and OHCA in Brisbane, Australia.MethodsA quasi-Poisson regression model coupled with a distributed lag non-linear model was employed, using OHCA and meteorological data between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2019. Reference temperature was chosen to be the temperature of minimum risk (21.4°C). Heatwaves were defined as daily average temperatures at or above a heat threshold (90th, 95th, 98th, 99th percentile of the yearly temperature distribution) for at least two consecutive days.ResultsThe effect of any temperature above the reference temperature was not statistically significant; whereas low temperatures (below reference temperature) increased OHCA risk. The effect of low temperatures was delayed for 1 day, sustained up to 3 days, peaking at 2 days following exposures. Heatwaves significantly increased OHCA risk across the operational definitions. When a threshold of 95th percentile of yearly temperature distribution was used to define heatwaves, OHCA risk increased 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.50) times. When the heat threshold for defining heatwaves increased to 99th percentile, the relative risk increased to 1.48 (1.11 to 1.96).ConclusionsLow temperatures and defined heatwaves increase OHCA risk. The findings of this study have important public health implications for mitigating strategies aimed at minimising temperature-related OHCA.

scholarly journals Association between ambient fine particulate matters and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality: an analysis in Southeastern China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijian Chen ◽  
Qiuli Fu ◽  
Guangming Mao ◽  
Lizhi Wu ◽  
Peiwei Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Particulate Matters ◽  
Southeastern China ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Copd Mortality

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between ambient particulate matters(PMs)and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality.Methods: Generalized Additive Mixed Model was employed to investigate the effects of ambient fine and coarse PMs on COPD mortality using 13,066 deaths from 2014 to 2016 among six cities in Zhejiang Province in Southeastern China.Results: The daily average death count due to COPD was 3, varying from 1 to 7among six cities. The daily 24-hour mean concentrations were diverse among cities, from 29.7 to 56.8 µg/m3 for PM2.5, 16.7 to 30.3 µg/m3 for PM2.5−10, and 50.3 to 87.1 µg/m3 for PM10, respectively. The analysis showed that daily exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with increased mortality due to COPD and that weak effects were observed between PM2.5−10 and COPD mortality.Conclusions: Our results provided evidence that the fine particles in air pollution have stronger functions on adverse health effects other than coarser particles in Southeastern China, which may be considered as a potential clinic target in PM-associated COPD.

scholarly journals Association between temperature and back pain among lumbar disc herniation patients

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cai Chen ◽  
Dandan Wang ◽  
Fanjie Liu ◽  
Hao Qin ◽  
Xiyuan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Lumbar Disc Herniation ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Lumbar Disc ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPurposeThis paper was designed to critically provide empirical evidence for the relationship between temperature and intensity of back pain among people with lumbar disc herniation (LDH).MethodsDistributed lag linear and non-linear models (DLNM) was used to evaluate the relationship between lag-response and exposure to ambient temperature. Stratification was based on age and gender.ResultsWhen daily average temperature was on the rage of 15-23□, the risk of hospitalization was at the lowest level for men group. About below 10□, risk for male hospitalization could keep increase when lag day were during lag0-lag5 and lag20-lag28. 40<age≤50 group was little affected when they exposed to ambient temperature.

scholarly journals Sources and mixing state of size-resolved elemental carbon particles in a European megacity: Paris

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1681-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Healy ◽  
J. Sciare ◽  
L. Poulain ◽  
K. Kamili ◽  
M. Merkel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Single Particle ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Particle Mass ◽  
Mass Size ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Abstract. An Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) was deployed to investigate the size-resolved chemical composition of single particles at an urban background site in Paris, France, as part of the MEGAPOLI winter campaign in January/February 2010. ATOFMS particle counts were scaled to match coincident Twin Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (TDMPS) data in order to generate hourly size-resolved mass concentrations for the single particle classes observed. The total scaled ATOFMS particle mass concentration in the size range 150–1067 nm was found to agree very well with the sum of concurrent High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and Multi-Angle Absorption Photometer (MAAP) mass concentration measurements of organic carbon (OC), inorganic ions and black carbon (BC) (R2 = 0.91). Clustering analysis of the ATOFMS single particle mass spectra allowed the separation of elemental carbon (EC) particles into four classes: (i) EC attributed to biomass burning (ECbiomass), (ii) EC attributed to traffic (ECtraffic), (iii) EC internally mixed with OC and ammonium sulfate (ECOCSOx), and (iv) EC internally mixed with OC and ammonium nitrate (ECOCNOx). Average hourly mass concentrations for EC-containing particles detected by the ATOFMS were found to agree reasonably well with semi-continuous quantitative thermal/optical EC and optical BC measurements (r2 = 0.61 and 0.65–0.68 respectively, n = 552). The EC particle mass assigned to fossil fuel and biomass burning sources also agreed reasonably well with BC mass fractions assigned to the same sources using seven-wavelength aethalometer data (r2 = 0.60 and 0.48, respectively, n = 568). Agreement between the ATOFMS and other instrumentation improved noticeably when a period influenced by significantly aged, internally mixed EC particles was removed from the intercomparison. 88% and 12% of EC particle mass was apportioned to fossil fuel and biomass burning respectively using the ATOFMS data compared with 85% and 15% respectively for BC estimated from the aethalometer model. On average, the mass size distribution for EC particles is bimodal; the smaller mode is attributed to locally emitted, mostly externally mixed EC particles, while the larger mode is dominated by aged, internally mixed ECOCNOx particles associated with continental transport events. Periods of continental influence were identified using the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) "FLEXPART". A consistent minimum between the two EC mass size modes was observed at approximately 400 nm for the measurement period. EC particles below this size are attributed to local emissions using chemical mixing state information and contribute 79% of the scaled ATOFMS EC particle mass, while particles above this size are attributed to continental transport events and contribute 21% of the EC particle mass. These results clearly demonstrate the potential benefit of monitoring size-resolved mass concentrations for the separation of local and continental EC emissions. Knowledge of the relative input of these emissions is essential for assessing the effectiveness of local abatement strategies.

scholarly journals Characteristics of PM2.5 Chemical Compositions and Their Effect on Atmospheric Visibility in Urban Beijing, China during the Heating Season

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Li ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Qiulin Xiong ◽  
Xingchuan Yang ◽  
Mengxi Qi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fine Particles ◽  
Inorganic Ions ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Motor Vehicles ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Heating Season ◽  
Atmospheric Visibility ◽  
Visibility Impairment ◽  
Mass Concentrations

Beijing, which is the capital of China, suffers from severe Fine Particles (PM2.5) pollution during the heating season. In order to take measures to control the PM2.5 pollution and improve the atmospheric environmental quality, daily PM2.5 samples were collected at an urban site from 15 November to 31 December 2016, characteristics of PM2.5 chemical compositions and their effect on atmospheric visibility were analyzed. It was found that the daily average mass concentrations of PM2.5 ranged from 7.64 to 383.00 μg m−3, with an average concentration of 114.17 μg m−3. On average, the Organic Carbon (OC) and Elemental Carbon (EC) contributed 21.39% and 5.21% to PM2.5, respectively. Secondary inorganic ions (SNA: SO42− + NO3− + NH4+) dominated the Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions (WSIIs) and they accounted for 47.09% of PM2.5. The mass concentrations of NH4+, NO3− and SO42− during the highly polluted period were 8.08, 8.88 and 6.85 times greater, respectively, than during the clean period, which contributed most to the serious PM2.5 pollution through the secondary transformation of NO2, SO2 and NH3. During the highly polluted period, NH4NO3 contributed most to the reconstruction extinction coefficient (b′ext), accounting for 35.7%, followed by (NH4)2SO4 (34.44%) and Organic Matter (OM: 15.24%). The acidity of PM2.5 in Beijing was weakly acid. Acidity of PM2.5 and relatively high humidity could aggravate PM2.5 pollution and visibility impairment by promoting the generation of secondary aerosol. Local motor vehicles contributed the most to NO3−, OC, and visibility impairment in urban Beijing. Other sources of pollution in the area surrounding urban Beijing, including coal burning, agricultural sources, and industrial sources in the Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, released large amounts of SO2, NH3, and NO2. These, which were transformed into SO42−, NH4+, and NO3− during the transmission process, respectively, and had a great impact on atmospheric visibility impairment.

scholarly journals Size-segregated characteristics of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and organic matter in particulate matter (PM) emitted from different types of ships in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1549-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Hai Guo ◽  
Yingjun Chen ◽  
Volker Matthias ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Particle Mass ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Particle Sizes ◽  
Heavy Fuel Oil ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Marine Diesel

Abstract. Studies of detailed chemical compositions in particles with different size ranges emitted from ships are in serious shortage. In this study, size-segregated distributions and characteristics of particle mass, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), 16 EPA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 25 n-alkanes measured aboard 12 different vessels in China are presented. The results showed the following. (1) More than half of the total particle mass, OC, EC, PAHs and n-alkanes were concentrated in fine particles with aerodynamic diameter (Dp) < 1.1 µm for most of the tested ships. The relative contributions of OC, EC, PAH and alkanes to the size-segregated particle mass are decreasing with the increase in particle size. However, different types of ships showed quite different particle-size-dependent chemical compositions. (2) In fine particles, the OC and EC were the dominant components, while in coarse particles, OC and EC only accounted for very small proportions. With the increase in particle size, the OC / EC ratios first decreased and then increased, having the lowest values for particle sizes between 0.43 and 1.1 µm. (3) Out of the four OC fragments and three EC fragments obtained in thermal–optical analysis, OC1, OC2 and OC3 were the dominant OC fragments for all the tested ships, while EC1 and EC2 were the main EC fragments for ships running on heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine-diesel fuel, respectively; different OC and EC fragments presented different distributions in different particle sizes. (4) The four-stroke low-power diesel fishing boat (4-LDF) had much higher PAH emission ratios than the four-stroke high-power marine-diesel vessel (4-HMV) and two-stroke high-power heavy-fuel-oil vessel (2-HHV) in fine particles, and 2-HHV had the lowest values. (5) PAHs and n-alkanes showed different profile patterns for different types of ships and also between different particle-size bins, which meant that the particle size should be considered when source apportionment is conducted. It is also noteworthy from the results in this study that the smaller the particle size, the more toxic the particle was, especially for the fishing boats in China.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document