Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 56. No. 1., 2017.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2017.56.01.01
Correlation between Concentration of Air Pollutants and Occurrence of Cardiac Arrhythmias in a Region with Humid Continental Climate
Marijana Knezović
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Pintarić
; First School of Economics
Marko Mornar Jelavić
; Department of Internal Medicine and Dialysis, Zagreb-East Health Center
Višnja Nesek
; Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Osijek School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek
Goran Krstačić
; Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Zagreb, Osijek School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek
Mislav Vrsalović
; Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Zagreb, Osijek School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek
Aljoša Šikić
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Zeljković
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center
Hrvoje Pintarić
; Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia; School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the correlation of air temperature, pressure and concentration of air pollutants with the rate of admissions for cardiac arrhythmias at two clinical centers in the area with a humid continental climate. This retrospective study included 3749 patients with arrhythmias admitted to emergency department (ED). They were classified into four groups: supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), ventricular tachycardia (VT), atrial fibrillation/undulation (Afib/Aund), and palpitations (with no ECG changes, or with sinus tachycardia and extrasystoles). The number of patients, values of meteorological parameters (average daily values of air temperature, pressure and relative humidity) and concentrations of air pollutants (particles of dimensions ~10 micrometers or less (PM10), ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)) were collected during a two-year period ( July 2008-June 2010). There were 1650 (44.0%), 1525 (40.7%), 451 (12.0%) and 123 (3.3%) patients with palpitations, Afib/Aund, SVT and VT, respectively. Spearman’s correlation yielded positive correlation between the occurrence of arrhythmias and air humidity on the day (r=0.07), and 1 (r=0.08), 2 (r=0.09) and 3 days before (r=0.09), and NO2 particles on the day (r=0.08) of ED admission; palpitations and air humidity on the day (r=0.11), and 1 (r=0.09), 2 (r=0.07) and 3 days before (r=0.10), and PM10 (r=0.11) and NO2 (r=0.08) particles on the day of ED admission; and Afib/Aund and air humidity 2 days before (r=0.08) ED admission (p<0.05 all). In conclusion, there was a very weak positive correlation of the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias with air humidity and concentration of air pollutants in the region with a humid continental climate.
Keywords
Air pollution – adverse effects; Arrhythmias, cardiac; Climate – adverse effects; Emergency service, hospital
Hrčak ID:
184167
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2017.
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