The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the level of air pollutants and the rate of ischemic stroke (IS) admissions to hospitals. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, stroke admissions (January-March 2012 and 2013) to an emergency department and air pollution and meteorological data were gathered. The relationship between air pollutant levels and hospital admission rates were evaluated using the generalize additive model. In all 379 patients with IS were referred to the hospital (52.5% male; mean age 68.2+/-13.3 years). Both transient (p<0.001) and long-term (p<0.001) rises in CO level increases the risk of IS. Increased weekly (p<0.001) and monthly (p<0.001) average O3 levels amplifies this risk, while a transient increase in NO2 (p<0.001) and SO2 (p<0.001) levels has the same effect. Long-term changes in PM(10) (p<0.001) and PM(2.5) (p<0.001) also increase the risk of IS. The findings showed that the level of air pollutants directly correlates with the number of stroke admissions to the emergency department.
Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Male ; Patient Admission ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke

Purpose::Some surgeons believe that chest computed tomography (CT) scan should be used more prudently in management of blunt chest trauma patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical predictors of abnormal chest CT scan findings in trauma patients.Methods::This cross-sectional study was conducted on blunt chest trauma patients aged ≥18 years who were referred to the emergency departments of two educational hospitals and underwent chest CT scan. These patients were enrolled in the study using a non-probability sampling method. The exclusion criteria included: class III or IV hemodynamic shock, need for immediate surgical or neurosurgical interventions, penetrating trauma, lack of required information, and pregnancy. Demographic factors, accident details, trauma mechanism, vital signs, and level of consciousness in predicting abnormal chest CT scan findings were evaluated. Analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics 21.Results::A total of 977 patients (male 51.5%, female 48.5%) with the mean age of (41.71 ± 14.24) years, range 18-88 years were studied; 34.2% of them with high energy trauma mechanism. With 334 (34.2%) patients had abnormal findings on chest X-ray (CXR) and 332 (34.0%) cases had an abnormal findings on chest CT scan (agreement rate was 99.4%). There was a significant correlation between male gender ( p < 0.0001), GCS<15 ( p < 0.0001), high energy trauma mechanism ( p < 0.0001), unstable hemodynamics ( p < 0.01), and clinical signs and symptoms ( p < 0.0001) with chest CT findings. Chest wall deformity ( odds = 8; p < 0.0001), generalized tenderness ( odds = 6.6, p < 0.0001), and decreased cardiac sound ( odds = 3.8, p < 0.0001) were the important and independent clinical predictors of abnormal chest CT scan findings. Conclusion::Based on the findings, chest wall deformity, generalized tenderness, decreased cardiac sound, distracting pain, chest wall tenderness, high energy trauma mechanism, male gender, respiratory rate > 20 breathes/min, decreased pulmonary sound, and chest wall crepitation were independent clinical predictors of abnormal chest CT scan findings following blunt trauma.