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CMAJ • April 30, 2002; 166 (9)
© 2002 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

Review
Synthèse

Identifying and managing adverse environmental health effects: 2. Outdoor air pollution

Alan Abelsohn*, David Stieb{dagger}, Margaret D. Sanborn{ddagger} and Erica Weir§

From *the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; {dagger}the Air Health Effects Division, Health Canada, Ottawa Ont.; and {ddagger}the Department of Family Medicine and §the Community Medicine Residency Program, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.

Correspondence to: Dr. Alan Abelsohn, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 1–1735 Bathurst St., Toronto ON M5P 2K4; fax 416 483-8182; alan.abelsohn{at}utoronto.ca

Abstract

AIR POLLUTION CONTRIBUTES TO PREVENTABLE ILLNESS AND DEATH. Subgroups of patients who appear to be more sensitive to the effects of air pollution include young children, the elderly and people with existing chronic cardiac and respiratory disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. It is unclear whether air pollution contributes to the development of asthma, but it does trigger asthma episodes. Physicians are in a position to identify patients at particular risk of health effects from air pollution exposure and to suggest timely and appropriate actions that these patients can take to protect themselves. A simple tool that uses the CH2OPD2 mnemonic (Community, Home, Hobbies, Occupation, Personal habits, Diet and Drugs) can help physicians take patients' environmental exposure histories to assess those who may be at risk. As public health advocates, physicians contribute to the primary prevention of illness and death related to air pollution in the population. In this article we review the origins of air pollutants, the pathophysiology of health effects, the burden of illness and the clinical implications of smog exposure using the illustrative case of an adolescent patient with asthma.




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Can. Med. Assoc. J., April 1, 2002; 166(9): 1157 - 1158.
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