Relationship between emergency care utilization, ambient temperature, and the pollution standard index in Taiwan.
Int J Environ Health Res
; 27(5): 344-354, 2017 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28633538
ABSTRACT
This study applied a vector error correction model to investigate the effects of ambient temperature (AT) and air quality index values on emergency care utilization (ECU). The Pollution Standards Index (PSI) and total suspended particulates (TSP) were used for analysis. Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and Ministry Environmental of Protection Administration of Taiwan. Data from January of 1998 to December of 2012 (180 months) were analyzed. Study results showed that, regardless of long-term equilibrium or short-term dynamics, a 1 °C increase in AT will decrease ECU, showing that AT strongly affects ECU. There were no significant corrections of long-term equilibrium of PSI and TSP on ECU. Only short-term TSP dynamics caused negative effects in the first ECU phase. Emergency care requires special monitoring of AT and TSP to respond to the increased number of high-risk patients consulting emergency departments.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Temperatura
/
Poluição do Ar
/
Serviços Médicos de Emergência
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Environ Health Res
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Ano de publicação:
2017
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Taiwan