Examining associations between air pollution and emergency room visits and hospitalizations with acute exacerbations of people with COPD in Sinop

Air pollution is an important environmental risk factor that affects COPD and other respiratory system diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the air pollution in Sinop province in relation to acute exacerbations of COPD individuals and their admission to emergency services and hospital admissions. Patients who were admitted to Sinop Ataturk State Hospital due to COPD exacerbation between January 01, 2016 and December 31, 2016 and who were hospitalized for this reason were examined retrospectively. Air Polluters' measured values in Sinop province and Boyabat province obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning Ministry of Public Works Air Quality Monitoring Stations website. The average age of the patients in the study (n: 2737) was 67.5±13.3 and 69.8% was male. Patients with COPD were most likely to be hospitalized during the winter (January-February) and autumn (October) periods. Comparing the average of air quality monitoring parameters according to the seasons, all air pollutant measurement values were found significantly higher in the spring and winter season group (p<0,05). When the distribution of hospital admissions according to season was examined, hospitalization rates (4.7%) were significantly higher in spring and winter (p <0,05). When the risk is examined, the likelihood of admission to the hospital in the spring and winter seasons is 2.44 times higher than the summer-autumn seasons. It was determined that patients who applied to the hospital increased the probability of hospitalization by 2.44 times in these seasons when the air pollution causing the air pollution was higher in the spring and winter seasons. It has been proposed to combat air pollution according to the results obtained from our work, to protect the COPD individuals from internal and external air pollution, and to add more study to the literature.