Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33627098›Full record

ArticleBMC ophthalmology2021

Association between ambient temperature, particulate air pollution and emergency room visits for conjunctivitis.

S Khalaila, T Coreanu, A Vodonos, I Kloog, A Shtein, L E Colwell, V Novack, E Tsumi

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

S KhalailaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, P.O. Box 151, 84101, Beer-Sheva, Israel. kh_soltan@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6156-2192
T CoreanuFaculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
A VodonosNegev Environmental Health Research Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, P.O. Box 151, 84101, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
I KloogDepartment of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
A ShteinDepartment of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
L E ColwellUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
V NovackFaculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
E TsumiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, P.O. Box 151, 84101, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev · ILSoroka Medical Center · ILUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNumerous studies have confirmed the association of ambient temperature and air pollution with a higher risk of morbidities, yet few have addressed their effect on the ocular system. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between temperature, air pollution, and emergency room visits for conjunctivitis.

methodsIn this case-crossover study, the records of all emergency room visits to Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed for patients with conjunctivitis. Daily exposure to fine and coarse particulate matter and temperature were determined by a hybrid model involving satellite sensors. Mean relative humidity was obtained from the Ministry of Environmental Protection meteorological monitoring station located in Beer-Sheva.

resultsSix hundred one patients were diagnosed with conjunctivitis in the SUMC emergency room. We discovered a positive association between temperature increments and incidence of conjunctivitis. The strongest effect was found during summer and autumn, with an immediate (lag0) incidence increase of 8.1% for each 1 °C increase in temperature (OR = 1.088, 95%CI: 1.046-1.132) between 24 and 28 °C in the summer and 7.2% for each 1 °C increase in temperature (OR = 1.072, 95%CI: 1.036-1.108) between 13 and 23 °C in the autumn. There was no statistically significant association between fine and coarse particulate matter and conjunctivitis incidence.

conclusionTemperature increases during summer and autumn are significantly associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is not associated with non-anthropogenic air pollution. These findings may help community clinics and hospital emergency rooms better predict conjunctivitis cases and will hopefully lead to improved prevention efforts that will lower the financial burden on both the individual and the public.

Indexed as

Air PollutionConjunctivitisCross-Over StudiesEmergency Service, HospitalHumansTemperatureAir pollutionConjunctivitisOcular diseaseTemperatureWeather

Identifiers

PMID33627098
PMCPMC7903634
OpenAlexW3108311157

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.