[Air pollutants and their correlation with medical visits for acute respiratory infections in children less than five years of age in urban Guadalajara, Mexico]

OBJECTIVE: To describe the correlation between the concentration levels of atmospheric air pollutants and the number of medical visits to IMSS, ISSSTE and of SSJ healthcare facilities of the Urban Area of Guadalajara between 2000-2002 by children under five years suffering from acute respiratory infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An ecological study was performed to describe the correlation between the interpolated monthly average modes, monthly mobile average of air pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 microns (PM10) and sulfur dioxide,and the number of medical visits per month due to acute respiratory infections in children under five years. RESULTS: The air pollutants: carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide show a significant correlation with the incidence of acute respiratory infections in children less than five years of age in the Urban Area of Guadalajara. The correlation coefficients were: CO (r= 0.05) and NO2 (r= 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Although the concentrations of air pollutants stay below the official limit, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide affect the health of the child population of the Urban Area of Guadalajara. Although the monthly average mode and monthly mobile average does not exceed the established legislation,the registered maximums do exceed it; this indicates that although throughout most of the day there is no latent risk of population exposure to the air pollutants, during some hours of certain days there is a risk for the population of breathing air contaminated with concentrations higher than the limit, which can cause the development of acute respiratory infections