TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - The impact of an urban scrapyard fire on respiratory-related pediatric emergency department visits
JO  - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
A1  - Li, Jonathan C.
A1  - Casher, Danielle
SP  - 764
EP  - 770
VL  - 62
IS  - 9
N2  - OBJECTIVE: In Philadelphia, a scrapyard fire generated PM2.5 concentrations >1000 μg/m. We assessed whether this was associated with pediatric emergency department visits for respiratory diagnoses.     DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective observational study using electronic health record data from a local, academic pediatric hospital.     RESULTS: Compared to the two-week period before the fire, patients living directly north of the fire (downwind) had a significant difference in all asthma diagnoses (OR = 3.02, P = 0.03); asthma and upper respiratory infection (OR = 17.3, P = 0.01); overall admissions (OR = 3.04, P = 01); asthma admissions (OR = 4.45, P = .01); and asthma and upper respiratory infection admissions (OR = 15.0, P = 0.01). We did not observe any significant differences among visits or admissions from patients residing in other adjacent zip codes.     CONCLUSION: A localized, transient increase in PM2.5 was associated with increased pediatric emergency department visits for asthma among patients living downwind of the fire.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1076-2752
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001972
ID  - ref1
ER  -