Influence of Hazy Weather on Patient Presentation with Respiratory Diseases in Beijing, China

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Chronic respiratory disease is an important factor for development of lung cancer. To explorethe influence of hazy weather on respiratory diseases and its variation the present study was conducted. Materialsand <br/><b>Methods</b>: Data from air pollution surveillance from January to October 2014 and case records of visitingpatients in the 263th Hospital of Chinese PLA in the corresponding period were collected to analyze the relevancebetween different degrees of air pollution (hazy weather) and the number of visiting patients in Department ofRespiratory Disease. <br/><b>Results</b>: Air quality index (AQI) of hazy weather had significantly positive association withparticulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and the number of patients with 5 kinds of respiratory diseases i and differentpollutants had distinct influences on various respiratory diseases. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: The degree of air pollution inBeijing City is in close association with the number of patients with respiratory diseases, in which PM2.5 andSO2 are in more significant influences on all respiratory diseases. This could have essential implications for lungcancer development in China.