Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii

Abstract

3/2020 vol. 37
Original paper

Short-term effects of air pollution on exacerbations of allergic asthma in Užice region, Serbia

Gordana Kovačević 1
,
Vesna Tomić-Spirić 2, 3
,
Jelena Marinković 4
,
Slavenka Janković 5
,
Andja Ćirković 4
,
Ana Milošević Djerić 1
,
Miloš Erić 6
,
Janko Janković 7
  1. General Hospital Užice, Užice, Serbia
  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  3. Clinic of Allergology and Immunology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
  4. Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  5. Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  6. Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, Metropolitan University, Belgrade, Serbia
  7. Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Adv Dermatol Allergol 2020; XXXVII (3): 377-383
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2020.96254
Online publish date: 2020/07/16
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Introduction

Many time-series studies have shown a positive association between air pollution and asthma exacerbation. However, till now only one study in Serbia has examined this relationship.

Aim

To examine the associations between air pollution and asthma emergency department (ED) visits in the Užice region, Serbia.

Material and methods

A time-stratified case-crossover design was applied to 424 ED visits for asthma exacerbation that occurred in the Užice region, Serbia, in 2012–2014. Data about ED visits were routinely collected in the Užice Health Centre. The daily average concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) were measured by automatic ambient air quality monitoring stations. Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated using conditional logistic regression adjusted for the potential confounding influence of weather variables (temperature, humidity and air pressure).

Results

Statistically significant associations were observed between ED visits for asthma and 3-day lagged exposure to BC (OR = 3.23; 95% CI: 1.05–9.95), and between ED visits for asthma with coexisting allergic rhinitis and 0-day lag exposure to NO2 (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.94–2.65), 2-day lag exposure to SO2 (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.02–3.80), and 3-day lag exposure to PM10 (OR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.17–4.84).

Conclusions

Exposure to ambient air pollution in the Užice region increases the risk of ED visits for asthma, particularly during the heating season.

Keywords

air pollution, allergic asthma, emergency department visits, case-crossover design, Serbia

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