Physical-chemical subsystem

A relationship between fine particulate matter and hospitalizations for pneumonia in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

Abstract

Context: Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of infant mortality worldwide. One of the main "risk factors" for pneumonia is exposure to tobacco smoke and inhalation of air pollutants. Methods: Climate data from INMET, PM2.5 data from SISAM and pneumonia morbidity data from DATASUS from 2009 to 2019 were used. The risk indices for air pollutants and the morbidity rate were used to analyze the data, as well as exploratory statistical methods using SPSS®. The morbidity rate was also mapped using QGis® software. Results: There are months of the year, such as March and April, when there are more than a thousand cases a month, while the lowest morbidities range between 150 and 450 cases, mainly in December and January. PM2.5 shows an inverse relationship with pneumonia morbidity, and both are distributed seasonally in the city. At the daily rate, atmospheric conditions influence the increase in daily hospitalizations on the previous days, although they do not show a homogeneous pattern. The spatial data shows different scenarios: the highest rates of pneumonia morbidity are found in neighborhoods with low (Praça 14 de Janeiro and Ponta Negra) and high (Tarumã and Santa Etelvina) social vulnerability, however, there is a concentration of elderly people and children in these locations, respectively, which leads to the conclusion that the manifestation of pneumonia may be associated with the age structure of the population.