Title: Hospital admissions and air mass types in Athens, Greece

Authors: Pavlos Kassomenos, George Mertzanos, Michael Petrakis, Maria Xylaggoura, Basil Psiloglou

Addresses: Department of Physics, Lab of Meteorology, University of Ioannina, GR-45110, Ioannina, Greece. ' Cardiology Department, KAT Accident Hospital, GR-14561, Athens, Greece. ' Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236, P. Penteli, Athens, Greece. ' Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Lab of Meteorology, GR-45110, Ioannina, Greece. ' Institute of Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236, P. Penteli, Athens, Greece

Abstract: We examined the effects of air mass types on hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, in Athens, Greece for 1992-2000. Health data were analysed according to the sex and age group of the patients admitted to the hospital. It was found that increased hospital admissions were associated with very poor ventilation for the Athens Basin and moisture environment. Hospital admissions decreased during good ventilation and low humidity in all seasons. Male admissions increase as the age of the admitted people is gradually increasing.

Keywords: public health; respiratory diseases; cardiovascular diseases; hospital admissions; air mass types; Athens; Greece; ventilation; humidity; synoptic weather indices; weather-related illnesses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.030896

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.40 No.1/2/3, pp.236 - 247

Published online: 11 Jan 2010 *

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