BACKGROUND

In the last year it has been an increase in the prevalence of asthma, as well as in the air pollution. The effect of air pollution on the respiratory health is still controversial.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between the income to the Emergency Room for asthmatic crisis and the air pollution or weather conditions.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

An observational, descriptive, retrospective survey was made with children and adult patients who had an income to the Emergency Room of the Dr. Valentín Gómez Farías Regional Hospital due to an asthmatic crisis, during period between January 1st and December 31 the of 1994, being related to weekly measures of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter as air pollution, and minimal temperature, minimal percentage of humidity and wind speed, as weather conditions. They was related by autoregression technique using the Epi Info 5 computing system.

RESULTS

An amount of 406 incomes to the Emergency Room for asthmatic crisis was recorded, observing an increase during the period between September and November. When compared to the air pollutants and weather conditions measurement, it has found a moderate relation between the increase of income and the nitrogen dioxide quantification, as the highest value.

CONCLUSIONS

Air pollution and weather conditions by themselves seem to have a minimal to moderate influence on the incidence of incomes to the Emergency Room for asthmatic crisis.