Background: Numerous studies have confirmed the association of ambient temperature and air pollution with a higher risk of morbidities, yet few have addressed their effect on the ocular system. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between temperature, air pollution, and emergency room visits for conjunctivitis.
Methods: In this case-crossover study, the records of all emergency room visits to Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed for patients with conjunctivitis. Daily exposure to fine and coarse particulate matter and temperature were determined by a hybrid model involving satellite sensors.
Results: 6001 patients were diagnosed with conjunctivitis in the SUMC emergency room. We discovered a positive association between temperature increments and incidence of conjunctivitis. The strongest effect was found during summer and autumn, when the incidence increased 8.1% for each 1oC rise in temperature between 24 and 28oC in the summer and 7.2% for each 1oC rise in temperature between 13 and 23oC in the autumn. There was no statistically significant association between fine and coarse particulate matter and conjunctivitis incidence.
Conclusion: Temperature increases during summer and autumn are significantly associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is not associated with non-anthropogenic air pollution. These findings may help community clinics and hospital emergency rooms better predict conjunctivitis cases and will hopefully lead to improved prevention efforts that will lower the financial burden on both the individual and the public.

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Received 29 Nov, 2019
On 14 Nov, 2019
On 13 Nov, 2019
Invitations sent on 30 Aug, 2019
On 08 Aug, 2019
On 02 Jul, 2019
On 01 Jul, 2019
On 13 Jan, 2021
Received 12 Jan, 2021
Invitations sent on 11 Jan, 2021
On 11 Jan, 2021
On 27 Dec, 2020
On 27 Dec, 2020
On 27 Dec, 2020
Posted 10 Nov, 2020
On 30 Nov, 2020
Received 24 Nov, 2020
Invitations sent on 01 Nov, 2020
On 01 Nov, 2020
On 31 Oct, 2020
On 31 Oct, 2020
On 31 Oct, 2020
On 20 Jul, 2020
Received 26 Mar, 2020
On 19 Mar, 2020
Invitations sent on 12 Mar, 2020
On 12 Mar, 2020
On 11 Mar, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
On 10 Mar, 2020
On 18 Dec, 2019
Received 12 Dec, 2019
Received 29 Nov, 2019
On 14 Nov, 2019
On 13 Nov, 2019
Invitations sent on 30 Aug, 2019
On 08 Aug, 2019
On 02 Jul, 2019
On 01 Jul, 2019
Background: Numerous studies have confirmed the association of ambient temperature and air pollution with a higher risk of morbidities, yet few have addressed their effect on the ocular system. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between temperature, air pollution, and emergency room visits for conjunctivitis.
Methods: In this case-crossover study, the records of all emergency room visits to Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) from 2009 to 2014 were reviewed for patients with conjunctivitis. Daily exposure to fine and coarse particulate matter and temperature were determined by a hybrid model involving satellite sensors.
Results: 6001 patients were diagnosed with conjunctivitis in the SUMC emergency room. We discovered a positive association between temperature increments and incidence of conjunctivitis. The strongest effect was found during summer and autumn, when the incidence increased 8.1% for each 1oC rise in temperature between 24 and 28oC in the summer and 7.2% for each 1oC rise in temperature between 13 and 23oC in the autumn. There was no statistically significant association between fine and coarse particulate matter and conjunctivitis incidence.
Conclusion: Temperature increases during summer and autumn are significantly associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is not associated with non-anthropogenic air pollution. These findings may help community clinics and hospital emergency rooms better predict conjunctivitis cases and will hopefully lead to improved prevention efforts that will lower the financial burden on both the individual and the public.

Figure 1

Figure 2
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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