Purpose of Review: Exposure to forest fire smoke is episodic, which makes its health effects challenging to study. We review the newest contributions to a growing literature on acute respiratory outcomes.
Recent Findings: Smoke exposure was associated with increases in self-reported symptoms, medication use, outpatient physician visits, emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and mortality. The associations were strongest for the outcomes most specific to asthma.
Summary: Studies with varied approaches to exposure assessment and varied measures of respiratory outcomes were consistent among themselves, and consistent with most previous work.
History
Publication title
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume
12
Pagination
221-227
ISSN
1528-4050
Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Place of publication
United States
Rights statement
Copyright 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified