A trans-disciplinary overview of case reports of thunderstorm-related asthma outbreaks and relapse

D’Amato, Gennaro; Cecchi, Lorenzo; Annesi‐Maesano, Isabella

doi:10.1183/09059180.00001712

Cited by 43 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Associations between thunderstorms and asthma morbidity have been identified in multiple locations around the world [29]. The thunderstorm-related epidemics are limited to late spring and summer when there are high levels of airborne pollen grains.…”

Section: Pollen and Mould Allergymentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and respiratory diseases

D’Amato

Cecchi²,

D’Amato³

et al. 2014

European Respiratory Review

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208

108

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@ERSpublications Climate change represents a threat to respiratory health by acting on respiratory diseases or their risk factors http://ow.ly/v6JElChanges in climate constitute a reality that, according to recent projections, is going to worsen in the coming years. Climate change represents a massive threat to respiratory health: 1) by directly promoting or aggravating respiratory diseases; or 2) by increasing exposure to risk factors for respiratory diseases. Climate change increases the amount of pollen and allergen produced by each plant, mould proliferation and the concentrations of outdoor ozone and particulate matter at ground level. The main diseases of concern are asthma, rhinosinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory tract infections. Groups at higher risk of climate change effects include individuals with pre-existing cardiopulmonary diseases or disadvantaged individuals. Adaptation and mitigation measures are strongly needed.It is now widely accepted that the earth's temperature is increasing, as confirmed by warming of the oceans, rising sea levels, glaciers melting, sea ice retreating in the Arctic and diminished snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, changes are also occurring in the amount, intensity, frequency and type of precipitation, as well as the increase of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, floods and hurricanes [1][2][3]. Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is probably due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (namely carbon dioxide, methane and the nitrous oxides) concentrations [1]. Projections of future greenhouse gas emissions indicate a worsening of the situation with between a 1.1 and 6.4uC increase in the mean temperature by the end of the 21st century [1].Climate change represents a massive direct threat to respiratory health by promoting or aggravating respiratory diseases or indirectly by increasing exposure to risk factors for respiratory diseases [4]. Climate affects weather, air and water quality, local and national food supplies, economics and many other critical health determinants. Observational evidence indicates that regional changes in climate, particularly temperature increases, affect a diverse set of physical and biological systems in many parts of the world [1, 2], some of which are of concern for respiratory health. A rapid rise has been observed in the number of hot days, such as the 2003 heat wave where temperatures of o35uC were reached resulting in ,40 000 excess deaths across Europe, mostly for cardiopulmonary causes [5,6]. Sea levels have also started to rise as an effect of a regression of the polar ice packs. Both heat waves and melting ice have led to water deprivation in certain

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Section: Pollen and Mould Allergymentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change and respiratory diseases

D’Amato

Cecchi²,

D’Amato³

et al. 2014

European Respiratory Review

Self Cite

208

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Mathews et al, reported a strong correlation between RSV and asthma especially in the age group ≤4 years and detected RSV exclusively in the rainy season (June-December) [25]. In addition associations between thunderstorms, which occur predominantly in the rainy season and asthma morbidity, have been identified in multiple locations around the world [26,27]. The most prominent hypotheses for thunderstorm-related asthma are linked to bio-aerosols and involve the role of rainwater in promoting the release of respirable particulate matter [26,27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition associations between thunderstorms, which occur predominantly in the rainy season and asthma morbidity, have been identified in multiple locations around the world [26,27]. The most prominent hypotheses for thunderstorm-related asthma are linked to bio-aerosols and involve the role of rainwater in promoting the release of respirable particulate matter [26,27]. Further during the rain season here is a greater frequency and intensity of floods and cyclones resulting in an increase in fungal spore production, a powerful asthma and rhinitis trigger [28].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The spatial epidemiology of asthma: a chronic noncommunicable disease and a neglected epidemic

Mungrue¹,

Sanford²

2014

J Allergy Asthma

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“…the smallness of the sample of days with thunderstorms could have been a contributing factor. On the other hand, it is possible that air flux dynamics, described as causing an increase in the number of asthma cases, might not have occurred, or if they did, they might not have affected the risk population (taylor et al, 2004;nasser, Pulimood, 2009;D'amato et al, 2012). a utumn was chosen for the analysis as the period of the year with the highest number of aeD in Portugal, together with the fact that, as it is not the period with the highest pollen concentration (concentrations are low and stable), it would allow for an easy identification of any peaks that could more easily be associated with the occurrence of thunderstorms.…”

Section: Fig2 -Velocidade E Direcção Do Vento Nos Dias De Trovoada (mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…the increase in pollutant concentrations and the fragmentation of airborne particles, making them more easily inhaled, are phenomena that can contribute to increase the number of asthma attacks (Burch and Levetin, 2002;Moreira et al, 2008;D'amato, Cecchi and annesi-Maesano, 2012).…”

Section: Air Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental conditions and childhood asthma in Lisbon. An exploratory analysis for autumn thunderstorm

Canário¹,

Fragoso²,

Mora³

et al. 2015

Finisterra

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-asthma attacks triggered by thunderstorms have been described in seve ral countries. the rises in pollen concentrations, attributed to atmospheric electrical discharges, were considered the leading cause of these outbreaks. the presence of variou s pollutants as well as certain weather conditions may contribute synergistically to the onse t of exacerbations in patients with a previous diagnosis of asthma. this study aims to investigate whether atmospheric electrical discharges exert any influence on the number of emergency admissions due to childhood asthma, in autumn, in Lisbon. the investigation will examine whether there are isolated or combined effects of meteorological variables, pollu tant and pollen concentrations that favour an increase in the number of exacerbations of asthma symptoms. for this purpose we compared the number of asthma admissions in period s with and without thunderstorms in a Lisbon paediatric emergency service. increa sing pollen concentrations attributed to thunderstorms reported in the literature were not found in Lisbon in the days analysed. there was also an absence of relationship between admissions for asthma and air pollution. associations between hospitalisations due to asthm a crisis and atmospheric variables were documented. Canário, M. Fragoso, C. Mora and H. Nogueira no influence of atmos pheric electrical discharges in the variation of the number of emergency admissions due to childhood asthma was verified in the studied period (autumn). On the contrary, it was verified that a decrease in minimum temperature positively reinforces these admissions.Keywords: asthma, thunderstorms, atmospheric electrical discharges, minimum temperature, Lisbon resumo -condiçõeS aMBientaiS e aSMa infantil eM liSBoa. análiSe exploratória eM diaS de troVoada no outono. Crises de asma desencadeadas por trovoadas têm sido descritas em vários países, como consequência do aumento das concen trações de pólenes. Vários poluentes e certas condições meteorológicas podem contribuir sinergicamente para a agudização dos sintomas em indivíduos com asma. investiga-se se as descargas eléctricas atmosféricas (Dea) aumentam as admissões hospitalares à urgência infan til, no Outono, em Lisboa. analisaram-se as entradas numa urgência pediátrica em Lisboa, comparando o número de admissões por asma em períodos com e sem trovoadas. O aumento das concentrações de pólenes no ar, atribuído às trovoadas não se verificou, em Lisboa, no período analisado. Confirmou-se também a ausência de relação entre admissões por asma e poluen tes e documentaram-se associações entre aquelas e as variáveis atmosféricas. não se observou associação entre descargas eléctricas atmosféricas e admissões ao serviço de Urgên cia pediátrico por asma. no entanto, verificou-se que a diminuição da temperatura mínima provocou o aumento de admissões hospitalares por asma no período estudado.Palavras-chave: asma, trovoadas, descargas eléctricas atmosféricas, temperatura mínima, Lisboa.résumé -conditionS atMoSphériqueS et aSthMe infantile...

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A trans-disciplinary overview of case reports of thunderstorm-related asthma outbreaks and relapse

Cited by 43 publications

References 32 publications

Climate change and respiratory diseases

Climate change and respiratory diseases

The spatial epidemiology of asthma: a chronic noncommunicable disease and a neglected epidemic

Environmental conditions and childhood asthma in Lisbon. An exploratory analysis for autumn thunderstorm

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