Duclos P, Sanderson L M, Lipsett M
Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia.
Arch Environ Health. 1990 Jan-Feb;45(1):53-8. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1990.9935925.
During a 5-d period that commenced on August 30, 1987, dry lightning strikes ignited more than 1,500 fires that destroyed in excess of 600,000 acres of California forests. To evaluate the public health impact of the smoke on the general population, all hospital emergency rooms located in the six counties most severely affected by smoke or fire were surveyed. Selected hospital information was abstracted for a 2 1/2-wk period during the fires and during two reference periods. During the period of major forest fire activity, visits of persons with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increased in number (observed/expected ratios of 1.4 and 1.3, respectively), as did visits of persons with sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, and laryngitis. A few patients with acute respiratory or eye irritation also visited the emergency rooms. Even recognizing the limited sensitivity of emergency room surveys, the overall public health impact was relatively modest. The increased respiratory morbidity detected in this survey, however, supports the notion that persons with pre-existing respiratory disease represent a sensitive subpopulation, who should be targeted for purposes of public health intervention when exposure to forest fire smoke is likely.
在1987年8月30日开始的为期5天的时间里，干雷击引发了1500多起火灾，烧毁了加利福尼亚州超过60万英亩的森林。为评估烟雾对普通人群的公共卫生影响，对位于受烟雾或火灾影响最严重的六个县的所有医院急诊室进行了调查。在火灾期间以及两个参照期内，选取了2.5周时间段的医院信息进行摘要分析。在森林火灾主要活动期间，哮喘患者和慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者的就诊人数增加（观察值/预期值之比分别为1.4和1.3），鼻窦炎、上呼吸道感染和喉炎患者的就诊人数也增加。一些有急性呼吸道或眼部刺激症状的患者也到急诊室就诊。即便认识到急诊室调查的敏感性有限，但总体公共卫生影响相对较小。不过，本次调查中发现的呼吸道发病率增加，支持了以下观点：患有既往呼吸系统疾病的人群是一个敏感亚群，在可能接触森林火灾烟雾时，应将其作为公共卫生干预的目标人群。
