Correlation between Air Pollution and Emergency Visits for Cardio−vascular and Respiratory Diseases in Milan, Italy. The POEMI Project

INTRODUCTION. The POEMI Project (POllution and Emergencies in MIlan) has been designed to evaluate the correlation between daily levels of outdoor pollution and visits for cardio−respiratory diseases in the Emergency Departments of the main 5 city hospitals of Milan. METHODS. The project started on November 1, 2007, and is planned to last one year. We monitor the daily levels of PM 2,5, PM10, SO2, NO, NO2, CO, C6H6 and O3. For statistical purpose, we include confounders such as flu epidemic, daily temperature and humidity, pollen counts (including Alternaria) and day of the week. PATIENTS. As of October 20, 2008, we registered 25.305 visits, with the diagnosis summarized in the following table. Upper Respiratory Tract Infection 12.976 Pneumonia 2631 Acute Bronchitis 2289 Hearth Failure 2268 Acute Coronary Disease 1657 Acute Asthma 1350 COPD Exacerbation 1271 Stroke 842 Unknown 21 The age groups were the following: 0−18 yrs: 13.315 patients; 19−56 yrs 5.379; > 65 yrs 6.596. 4758 patients were in the first year of life. The vast majority of patients (22.305) were caucasians. Among the 25.305 patients admitted to the Emergency Department, 17.300 were discharged, 7620 were hospitalized and 91 deceased. RESULTS. A preliminary statistical evaluation, performed on the first 16.326 patients, showed a highly statistical correlation between visits for cardio−vascular and respiratory diseases, as a group, and the level of all the considered pollutants. Such correlation was highly significant for all the age groups. A complete and definitive evaluation will be carried out at the end of the one−year data collection