The association of temperature, humidity, pressure, air pollution and dusty days with emergency department visits for upper respiratory complaints

Background: The impact of short-term exposure to desert dust days on upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of desert dust days, particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) levels, and meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity, and pressure) on emergency department visits due to URTI. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using data from a tertiary hospital in Gaziantep, Turkey, between 2013 and 2023. Patients diagnosed with URTI based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes were included. Environmental data were obtained from national meteorology and air quality databases. Dust storm days were identified using Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) values from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) satellite data. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) with negative binomial distribution were used to assess association between environmental variables and URTI visits, adjusting for temporal lag effects and potential confounders. Results: A total of 690,608 URTI-related emergency visits were recorded, with 2.4% of days identified as dust storm days. PM10 levels and temperature were significantly higher, pressure and humidity lower, on dust storm days. PM10 was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in URTI visits (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 1.001, p < 0.001), particularly with a 4-day lag (IRR = 1.001, p = 0.029). Increases in temperature and humidity were linked to fewer URTI visits, while increased pressure showed a slight positive association. Dust days themselves had no significant direct association on URTI visits (IRR = 1.006, p = 0.941). Conclusions: While desert dust days alter environmental conditions, they do not directly increase URTI-related emergency visits. However, elevated PM10 levels contribute modestly to increased URTI cases, especially with a time-lag effect. Meteorological conditions, particularly higher temperatures and humidity, appear protective, whereas increased pressure slightly elevates URTI risk. These findings highlight the complex and time-dependent nature of environmental influences on respiratory health.