Abstract
The seasonal pattern of asthma-related hospitalization has often been correlated with ambient allergen/pollutant levels. Objective. To examine the relationship between asthma-related hospital admissions (ARHA) and outdoor pollen, spore, and pollutant levels for adult patients in a densely populated Indian megacity Kolkata. Methods. ARHA data were obtained from two major teaching hospitals of the city. Pollen and spores causing allergic sensitization were identified by skin prick tests (SPTs) among respiratory allergic subjects (N ¼ 1353). Outdoor concentrations of aeroallergens were determined using a Burkard sampler for five consecutive years (2004–2009). Levels of NO2, SO2, suspended particulate matters (SPMs), and respirable particulate matters (RPMs) were made available by West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB, Government of West Bengal). Poisson multivariate Poisson regression (with adjustments for overdispersion) was used to model the data. Results.We found that ARHA in Kolkata increased with predictable regularity in March and September, while remaining low in January and July. SPT showed highly positive skin reactions with grass/weed and palm pollens in respiratory allergic patients, while Aspergilli spores also evoked good sensitivity. In our regression model, the airborne pollen types, Cheno-Amaranthaceae and Cyperaceae, and the inorganic pollutant, SO2 and RPM, were significantly associated with ARHA (p < .05).