Yousef Abdullah A, AlShammari Reem Fahad, AlBugami Sarah, AlAbbas Bushra Essa, AlMossally Fedaa Abdulkareem
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
J Clin Med. 2025 Jul 1;14(13):4659. doi: 10.3390/jcm14134659.
: Pediatric asthma is a leading cause of emergency department visits, and air pollution is a known primary environmental trigger. Although worldwide air pollutants have been associated with asthma exacerbations, limited data have been reported in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between air pollution and pediatric asthma admissions among children aged 2 to 14 years old at King Fahd Hospital of the University Hospital (KFHU). : This is a retrospective cohort study, over 366 days, including 1750 pediatric asthma-related ER visits and daily concentrations of air pollutants (PM, PM, NO, SO, CO, and O) and meteorological factors (temperature and humidity). Various statistical models, such as Poisson regression and ARIMA, were applied to determine the association between pollutants levels and hospital ER visits. The data were visit-based in nature, and it was not possible to follow up with repeat visits or for admission status for individual patients. : Elevated levels of PM, NO, and CO were significantly associated with more pediatric asthma ER visits, mainly on the same day and with short lags. PM displayed the strongest association, consistent with its deeper pulmonary penetration and greater toxicity. Also, PM levels were inversely associated with ER visits, possibly due to particle size and deposition location differences. Significantly correlated with increased ER visits are lower ambient temperature and higher humidity. : This study offers strong evidence on the relationship between air pollution and pediatric asthma events, in turn highlighting the vital importance of air quality regulation, public health policies, and clinical vigilance for environmental exposures.
小儿哮喘是急诊就诊的主要原因，空气污染是已知的主要环境触发因素。尽管全球范围内空气污染物与哮喘发作有关，但沙特阿拉伯东部省份的相关数据报道有限。本研究旨在调查法赫德国王大学医院（KFHU）2至14岁儿童空气污染与小儿哮喘住院之间的关系。 ：这是一项回顾性队列研究，为期366天，包括1750次与小儿哮喘相关的急诊就诊以及空气污染物（PM、PM、NO、SO、CO和O）和气象因素（温度和湿度）的每日浓度。应用了各种统计模型，如泊松回归和自回归积分滑动平均模型（ARIMA）来确定污染物水平与医院急诊就诊之间的关联。数据本质上是基于就诊的，无法对个体患者的重复就诊或住院状态进行随访。 ：PM、NO和CO水平升高与更多小儿哮喘急诊就诊显著相关，主要在同一天且滞后时间较短。PM显示出最强的关联，与其更深的肺部穿透力和更大的毒性一致。此外，PM水平与急诊就诊呈负相关，可能是由于粒径和沉积位置的差异。环境温度较低和湿度较高与急诊就诊增加显著相关。 ：本研究为空气污染与小儿哮喘事件之间的关系提供了有力证据，进而突出了空气质量监管、公共卫生政策以及对环境暴露的临床警惕的至关重要性。
