Dyląg Katarzyna Anna, Wroński Bartłomiej, Przybyszewska Katarzyna, Dumnicka Paulina
Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland. St. Louis Children Hospital in Kraków, Poland.
Folia Med Cracov. 2018;58(1):69-79.
Air pollution is a severe problem in Poland, with Kraków area being among the regions with the worse air quality. Viral croup or pseudocroup is a common childhood disease that may manifest with severe upper respiratory tract obstruction. Our aim was to evaluate the associations between incidence and severity of viral croup symptoms among children living in Kraków area, Poland, and air pollution.
The retrospective cross-sectional study included Kraków area residents <18 years of age admitted to the Emergency Department of St. Louis Children Hospital in Kraków, Poland over 2-year period. Daily mean concentrations of air pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitric oxides (NOx), carbon oxide (CO), sulfur dioxide, ozone, and benzene were retrieved from public database of measurements performed at three local stations. Numbers of cases of viral croup per week were correlated with weekly mean concentrations of air pollutants. Mean air temperature was treated as a cofactor.
During the studied period, mean concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, and NOx exceeded the allowable levels (yearly means) specified by Polish law regulations. Significant positive correlations of moderate strength were observed between weekly mean concentrations of most air pollutants, especially PM10, PM2.5, CO and benzene, and numbers of cases of viral croup recorded per week, confirmed in the analysis restricted to non-holiday period and to winter months only. The correlations between NOx, CO, benzene and croup prevalence were independent of temperature in non-holiday period.
Our results support adverse impact of air pollution on children's respiratory health.
空气污染在波兰是一个严重问题，克拉科夫地区是空气质量较差的地区之一。病毒性喉炎或假膜性喉炎是一种常见的儿童疾病，可能表现为严重的上呼吸道梗阻。我们的目的是评估波兰克拉科夫地区儿童病毒性喉炎症状的发病率和严重程度与空气污染之间的关联。
这项回顾性横断面研究纳入了波兰克拉科夫圣路易斯儿童医院急诊科在两年期间收治的18岁以下克拉科夫地区居民。从三个当地监测站的公共测量数据库中获取空气污染物的每日平均浓度：颗粒物（PM10和PM2.5）、氮氧化物（NOx）、一氧化碳（CO）、二氧化硫、臭氧和苯。每周病毒性喉炎病例数与空气污染物的每周平均浓度相关。平均气温作为一个协变量。
在研究期间，PM10、PM2.5和NOx的平均浓度超过了波兰法律法规规定的允许水平（年平均值）。在大多数空气污染物的每周平均浓度，特别是PM10、PM2.5、CO和苯与每周记录的病毒性喉炎病例数之间观察到显著的中等强度正相关，这在仅限于非节假日期间和仅冬季月份的分析中得到证实。在非节假日期间，NOx、CO、苯与喉炎患病率之间的相关性与温度无关。
我们的结果支持空气污染对儿童呼吸健康的不利影响。
