Unidad de Medicina Legal, Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España.
Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio. Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España.
Arch Bronconeumol. 2017 Nov;53(11):616-621. doi: 10.1016/j.arbres.2017.03.017. Epub 2017 May 8.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory condition and one of the leading causes of death. Our aim was to analyze the association between emergency room visits due to this disease and meteorological variables and atmospheric contaminant levels in Santander, depending on the origin and trajectory of air masses.
Data from emergency room visits at Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla were collected on a daily basis during an 8-year period. Data on concentrations of the main atmospheric pollutants and meteorological variables were also recorded.Retrotrajectories leading to Santander at a height of1,500 meters above sea level were then calculated. Finally, a correlation model was produced to evaluate the effect of the contaminants on emergency visitsdue to COPD.
There is a direct association between PM 10 levels and the number of visits to the emergency room due to COPD. For every 10μg/m3 increase in pollutantlevels, emergency visitsincrease by3.34% (p=0.00005), and thiseffect is enhanced in individualsover 74 years of age. This effect is heightened when PM10 levels depend on air masses from the South and when air recirculation occurs. There is no association betweenother pollutants and the number of visits to the emergency room.
Exposure to high levels of PM10 causes exacerbations in COPD patients. By studying the atmospheric circulation pattern, we can predict whether PM10 levels will be inappropriately high, and we can also obtain information about the particle components.
慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一种常见的呼吸道疾病，也是导致死亡的主要原因之一。本研究旨在分析在桑坦德，根据气团的起源和轨迹，因 COPD 而到急诊就诊与气象变量和大气污染物水平之间的关系。
在 8 年期间，我们每天收集马尔凯斯·德瓦尔德西利亚医院的急诊就诊数据。还记录了主要大气污染物和气象变量的数据。然后计算了导致海平面以上 1500 米高度的桑坦德的回溯轨迹。最后，生成了一个相关模型来评估污染物对 COPD 急诊就诊的影响。
PM10 水平与因 COPD 而到急诊就诊的次数之间存在直接关联。污染物水平每增加 10μg/m3，急诊就诊人数增加 3.34%（p=0.00005），在 74 岁以上的人群中这种效果更为明显。当 PM10 水平取决于来自南方的气团且出现空气再循环时，这种效果更为显著。其他污染物与急诊就诊次数之间没有关联。
暴露于高水平的 PM10 会导致 COPD 患者病情恶化。通过研究大气环流模式，我们可以预测 PM10 水平是否会过高，并且还可以获得有关颗粒成分的信息。
