Traffic Air Pollution Linked to Repeated Hospital Encounters for Asthma

Air pollution caused by traffic near the home affects asthma severity in children, resulting in repeated hospital encounters, according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Ralph J. Delfino, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues, studied records for 2,768 children from two hospitals in northern Orange County, Calif. Beginning with the first hospital encounter, investigators analyzed children's estimated exposures at their home addresses to the traffic-related air pollutants nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). They estimated the risk of recurrent hospital encounters from exposure to air pollution using recurrent proportional hazards analysis, adjusting for sex, age, health insurance, census-derived poverty, race/ethnicity, residence distance to hospital, and season.

Previous studies have demonstrated that high home or school traffic density is associated with prevalence of diagnosed asthma, but the impact of exposure to traffic on repeated episodes of asthma requiring hospital care is unclear, they report.

"Traffic-related NOx and CO were associated with repeated hospital encounters for asthma in children, suggesting that local traffic-generated air pollution near the home affects asthma symptom severity," the researchers wrote.

Approximately half of the repeated encounters in this study population occurred between ages 1 and 3 years. Based on their significant findings in infants with a primary diagnosis of asthma at their first hospital encounter, the authors suggest that early-life exposures to traffic pollutants may affect asthma severity and development.

Investigators did not find that children of lower socioeconomic status were at increased risk from air pollution exposures. They found evidence that this unexpected result was probably due to follow-up data that was less accurate in this group.

"Prospective environmental data are sparse for high-risk populations who present to the hospital with asthma exacerbations. Additional work with improved assessments of air pollutant exposures and asthma outcomes in such high-risk populations is likely to be fruitful given the present results," Delfino and his colleagues concluded.

For more information, go to www.annallergy.org.

Product Showcase

  • Magid® D-ROC® GPD412 21G Ultra-Thin Polyurethane Palm Coated Work Gloves

    Magid’s 21G line is more than just a 21-gauge glove, it’s a revolutionary knitting technology paired with an advanced selection of innovative fibers to create the ultimate in lightweight cut protection. The latest offering in our 21G line provides ANSI A4 cut resistance with unparalleled dexterity and extreme comfort that no other 21-gauge glove on the market can offer! Read More

  • Safety Knives

    The Safety Knife Company has developed a quality range of safety knives for all industries. Designed so that fingers cannot get to the blades, these knives will safely cut through cardboard, tape, strapping, shrink or plastic wrap or a variety of other packing materials. Because these knives have no exposed blades and only cut cardboard deep, they will not only protect employees against lacerations but they will also save product. The Metal Detectable versions have revolutionary metal detectable polypropylene knife bodies specifically for the food and pharmaceutical industries. This material can be detected and rejected by typical detection machines and is X-ray visible. Read More

  • HAZ LO HEADLAMPS

    With alkaline or rechargeable options, these safety rated, Class 1, Div. 1 Headlamps provide long runtime with both spot and flood options in the same light. Work safely and avoid trip hazards with flexible hands-free lighting from Streamlight. Read More

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars