Effect of ambient air pollution on the incidence of appendicitis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The pathogenesis of appendicitis is unclear. We evaluated whether exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased incidence of appendicitis.

Methods

We identified 5191 adults who had been admitted to hospital with appendicitis between Apr. 1, 1999, and Dec. 31, 2006. The air pollutants studied were ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and suspended particulate matter of less than 10 micro and less than 2.5 micro in diameter. We estimated the odds of appendicitis relative to short-term increases in concentrations of selected pollutants, alone and in combination, after controlling for temperature and relative humidity as well as the effects of age, sex and season.

Results

An increase in the interquartile range of the 5-day aver

SUBMITTER: Kaplan GG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2764754 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature