Аннотация
In the context of increased asthma exacerbations associated with cli-
matic changes such as thunderstorm asthma, interest in establishing the link
between pollen exposure and asthma hospital admissions has intensified. Here, we
systematically reviewed and performed a meta-analysis of studies on pollen and
emergency department (ED) attendance.
Methods:
A search for studies with appropriate search strategy in MEDLINE,
EMBASE, Web of Science and CINAHL was conducted. Each study was assessed
for quality and risk of bias. The available evidence was summarized both qualita-
tively and meta-analysed using random-effects models when moderate heterogene-
ity was observed.
Results:
Fourteen studies were included. The pollen taxa investigated differed
between studies, allowing meta-analysis only of the effect of grass pollen. A statisti-
cally significant increase in the percentage change in the mean number of asthma
ED presentations (MPC) (pooled results from 3 studies) was observed for an
increase in 10 grass pollen grains per cubic metre of exposure 1.88\% (95\%
CI
=
0.94\%, 2.82\%). Time series studies showed positive correlations between pol-
len concentrations and ED presentations. Age-stratified studies found strongest
associations in children aged 5-17 years old.
Conclusion:
Exposure to ambient grass pollen is an important trigger for childhood
asthma exacerbations requiring ED attendance. As pollen exposure is increasingly a
problem especially in relation to thunderstorm asthma, studies with uniform mea-
sures of pollen and similar analytical methods are necessary to fully understand its
impact on human health.
Пользователи данного ресурса
Пожалуйста,
войдите в систему, чтобы принять участие в дискуссии (добавить собственные рецензию, или комментарий)