Farhad Salimi1, Sarah B Henderson2, Geoffrey G Morgan3, Bin Jalaludin4, Fay H Johnston5. 1. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. 2. Environmental Health Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 3. University Centre for Rural Health - North Coast, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. 4. School of Public Health and Community Medicine and Ingham Institute of Applied Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Australia. 5. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. Electronic address: fay.johnston@utas.edu.au.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Emergency ambulance dispatches (EAD) are a novel outcome for evaluating the public health impacts of air pollution. We assessed the relationships between ambient particulate matter (PM) from all sources, PM from landscape fire smoke (LFS), and EADs likely to be associated with cardiorespiratory problems in the Sydney greater metropolitan region for an 11-year period from 2004 to 2015. METHODS: EAD codes are assigned at the time of the call to emergency services using standard computer assisted algorithms. We assessed EADs coded as: breathing problems, chest pain, stroke or cerebrovascular accident (stroke), cardiac or respiratory arrest and death (arrest), and heart or defibrillator problems (other heart problems). Using a daily times series study design with a generalized linear Poisson regression model we quantified the association between EAD and daily PM2.5 from all sources (PM2.5,all) and PM2.5 primarily due to LFS (PM2.5,LFS). RESULTS: Increases of 10μg·m-3 in PM2.5,all were positively associated with same day EAD for breathing problems (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.04), arrest (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.06), and chest pain (RR=1.01 CI 1.00 to 1.02) but not with other outcomes. Increases of 10μg·m-3 PM2.5,LFS were also positively associated with breathing problems on the same day (RR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05) and other heart problems at lag of two days (RR=1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.09). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency dispatches for breathing problems are associated with PM2.5,all and PM2.5,LFS and provide a sensitive end point for continued research and surveillance activities investigating the impacts of daily fluctuations in ambient PM2.5.
BACKGROUND: Emergency ambulance dispatches (EAD) are a novel outcome for evaluating the public health impacts of air pollution. We assessed the relationships between ambient particulate matter (PM) from all sources, PM from landscape fire smoke (LFS), and EADs likely to be associated with cardiorespiratory problems in the Sydney greater metropolitan region for an 11-year period from 2004 to 2015. METHODS:EAD codes are assigned at the time of the call to emergency services using standard computer assisted algorithms. We assessed EADs coded as: breathing problems, chest pain, stroke or cerebrovascular accident (stroke), cardiac or respiratory arrest and death (arrest), and heart or defibrillator problems (other heart problems). Using a daily times series study design with a generalized linear Poisson regression model we quantified the association between EAD and daily PM2.5 from all sources (PM2.5,all) and PM2.5 primarily due to LFS (PM2.5,LFS). RESULTS: Increases of 10μg·m-3 in PM2.5,all were positively associated with same day EAD for breathing problems (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.04), arrest (RR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.06), and chest pain (RR=1.01 CI 1.00 to 1.02) but not with other outcomes. Increases of 10μg·m-3 PM2.5,LFS were also positively associated with breathing problems on the same day (RR=1.04, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.05) and other heart problems at lag of two days (RR=1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.09). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency dispatches for breathing problems are associated with PM2.5,all and PM2.5,LFS and provide a sensitive end point for continued research and surveillance activities investigating the impacts of daily fluctuations in ambient PM2.5.
Authors: Jiayun Yao; Michael Brauer; Julie Wei; Kimberlyn M McGrail; Fay H Johnston; Sarah B Henderson Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2020-06-24 Impact factor: 9.031
Authors: Christine T Cowie; Amanda J Wheeler; Joy S Tripovich; Ana Porta-Cubas; Martine Dennekamp; Sotiris Vardoulakis; Michele Goldman; Melissa Sweet; Penny Howard; Fay Johnston Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-05-26 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Sotiris Vardoulakis; Bin B Jalaludin; Geoffrey G Morgan; Ivan C Hanigan; Fay H Johnston Journal: Med J Aust Date: 2020-02-23 Impact factor: 7.738
Authors: Fay H Johnston; Farhad Salimi; Grant J Williamson; Sarah B Henderson; Jiayun Yao; Martine Dennekamp; Karen Smith; Michael J Abramson; Geoffrey G Morgan Journal: Epidemiology Date: 2019-01 Impact factor: 4.822