Unconventional Gas and Oil Drilling Is Associated with Increased Hospital Utilization Rates.

ABSTRACT: Over the past ten years, unconventional gas and oil drilling (UGOD) has markedly expanded in the United States. Despite substantial increases in well drilling, the health consequences of UGOD toxicant exposure remain unclear. This study examines an association between wells and healthcare use by zip code from 2007 to 2011 in Pennsylvania. Inpatient discharge databases from the Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council were correlated with active wells by zip code in three counties in Pennsylvania. For overall inpatient prevalence rates and 25 specific medical categories, the association of inpatient prevalence rates with number of wells per zip code and, separately, with wells per km2 (separated into quantiles and defined as well density) were estimated using fixed-effects Poisson m

SUBMITTER: Jemielita T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4503720 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature