Wildfires impact urban residents with respiratory allergies
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PHOENIX — Wildfires outside of Monterey, Mexico, last spring had an impact on patients with respiratory allergies in the city, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.
“Pollutants are produced due to wildfire smoke and represent an important health concern, causing exacerbations of asthma or upper airway symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis,” Laura Paola Escamilla-Luna, MD, a second-year resident at Regional Center of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Monterey, said during the presentation.
“Wildfire smoke exposure has also been associated with declines in lung function among asthmatic children,” Escamilla-Luna said.
The researchers conducted a prospective, observational study of 50 patients (mean age, 24.34 years; standard deviation, 11.71 years; age range, 6-58 years; 48% female) with respiratory allergy who received spirometry, asthma control tests (ACTs) and rhinitis control assessment tests (RCATs) at University Hospital in Monterey between March 15 and April 1, 2021, while wildfires were happening in the region. A Pollen Sense sensor located at the hospital provided evidence of ash debris via imagery.
According to the researchers, 64% of the patients had allergic rhinitis and 36% had both asthma and allergic rhinitis.
The patients returned for follow-up care 2 months after their initial visit. Between the first and second visit, RCAT scores dropped by 4.32, with a standard deviation of 7.115 (P = 0).
“Also, the ACT scores compared between visit one and two in [patients] with asthma increased by the second visit with a mean of 2.55 points,” Escamilla-Luna said, adding that the standard deviation was 10.3.
Scores for FEV1 changed by 7.69 between the first and second visits, with a standard deviation of 18.91 (P = .006).
“In conclusion, we observed an impact in upper airway symptoms through RCAT scores and FEV1 values that were decreased during the wildfire exposure in a population with allergic respiratory diseases,” Escamilla-Luna said.