Influence of hazy weather on patient presentation with respiratory diseases in Beijing, China

Abstract

Background: Chronic respiratory disease is an important factor for development of lung cancer. To explore the influence of hazy weather on respiratory diseases and its variation the present study was conducted.

Materials and methods: Data from air pollution surveillance from January to October 2014 and case records of visiting patients in the 263th Hospital of Chinese PLA in the corresponding period were collected to analyze the relevance between different degrees of air pollution (hazy weather) and the number of visiting patients in Department of Respiratory Disease.

Results: Air quality index (AQI) of hazy weather had significantly positive association with particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and the number of patients with 5 kinds of respiratory diseases i and different pollutants had distinct influences on various respiratory diseases.

Conclusions: The degree of air pollution in Beijing City is in close association with the number of patients with respiratory diseases, in which PM2.5 and SO2 are in more significant influences on all respiratory diseases. This could have essential implications for lung cancer development in China.