Important points
Trauma cases tend to spike in ERs after severe air pollution outbreaks
On days with increased particle contamination, the number of ER patients increases by 15%
Young patients are more likely to have accidents, and older people suffer from breathing difficulties
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — On days with high air pollution, crash victims are more likely to rush to emergency rooms, a new study shows.
Researchers found that on days when airborne particle pollution increased, the number of patients treated in the ER increased by 10% to 15%.
The increase is due to more cases of trauma, as well as more people suffering from breathing difficulties and skin disorders, the study found.
Researcher Dr. Andrea Rossetto, an emergency medicine resident at the University of Florence in Italy, said the study reveals “a strong relationship between high levels of particulate matter and emergency department visits.” said.
Researchers have found that while air pollution-related trauma cases are more common among younger patients, people over 65 are more likely to suffer from breathing difficulties that land them in the ER.
“Most of our trauma patients are involved in traffic accidents, and traffic is also a major cause of increased air pollution in urban areas,” Rosset said. “Heavy traffic may be directly responsible for the increase in trauma cases and indirectly responsible for the increase in patients complaining of breathing difficulties related to air pollution.”
“This means that emergency departments are seeing more patients with respiratory distress at a time when they are already under stress with an increase in trauma cases, and outcomes for such patients are potentially worse. “It’s possible,” Rosset added.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 307,000 ER patients treated at Florence Collegiate Hospital between 2019 and 2022.
They compared these records to daily levels of particulate air pollution near the patient’s home address for up to a month before the patient went to the ER.
Researchers said the study needs to be replicated at other hospitals.
The researchers reported their findings at the annual meeting of the European Society of Emergency Medicine in Copenhagen.
Dr Barbra Backus, chair of the society’s abstract selection committee, said: “This study builds on existing evidence that air pollution, even at concentrations within WHO guidelines, is harmful to our health and health services. and strengthen it further,” said Dr. Barbra Backus, Chair of the Society’s Abstract Selection Committee.
“Understanding this link may allow hospitals to take steps to prepare for surges in patient numbers and reduce overcrowding in emergency departments,” said the researchers from Rotterdam, Netherlands, who were not involved in the study. added Emergency Physician Backus. “We hope that further research will provide more information on this topic.”
Source: European Society of Emergency Medicine, News Release, October 15, 2024
what this means for you
Researchers say that after days of severe air pollution, emergency departments as well as people suffering from respiratory illnesses can become overcrowded.
