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Cited by 22Air Quality and Health ImpactsAsthma and respiratory diseasesIndoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

Observations of Delayed Changes in Respiratory Function among Allergy Clinic Patients Exposed to Wildfire Smoke

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Blando, James, Allen, Michael, Galadima, Hadiza, Tolson, Timothy, Akpinar-Elci, Muge, Szklo-Coxe, Mariana·2022·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
DOI 10.3390/ijerph19031241PMC PMC8835059
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Abstract

Wildfires have increased in frequency and magnitude and pose a significant public health challenge. The principal objective of this study was to assess the impact of wildfire smoke on respiratory peak flow performance of patients exposed to two different wildfire events. This longitudinal study utilized an observational approach and a cohort study design with a patient-level clinical dataset from a local outpatient allergy clinic (n = 842). Meteorological data from a local weather station served as a proxy for smoke exposure because air quality measurements were not available. This study found that there were decreases in respiratory peak flow among allergy clinic patients one year after each wildfire event. For every one percent increase in wind blowing from the fire towards the community, there was, on average, a 2.21 L per minute decrease in respiratory peak flow. This study observed an effect on respiratory peak flow performance among patients at a local allergy clinic one year after suspected exposure to wildfire smoke. There are likely multiple reasons for the observation of this relationship, including the possibility that wildfire smoke may enhance allergic sensitization to other allergens or that wildfire smoke itself may elicit a delayed immune response.

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  • For patients with AR, 80% during Fire 1 and 90% during Fire 2 also had a diagnosis of asthma.

    “For patients with AR, 80% during Fire 1 and 90% during Fire 2 also had a diagnosis of asthma [25].”

    From Wildfires and Atopic Diseases: A Review (2026) · cites this paper as [25]

  • One study assessing respiratory health among wildfire smoke-exposed patients at an allergy clinic reported that the most common respiratory diagnoses associated with two fire events were AR (Fire 1: 36% of diagnoses for all patients and Fire 2: 30% of diagnoses for all patients) and asthma (Fire 1: 8% and Fire 2: 10% for adults; Fire 1: 15% and Fire 2: 15% for children).

    “One study assessing respiratory health among wildfire smoke‐exposed patients at an allergy clinic reported that the most common respiratory diagnoses associated with two fire events were AR (Fire 1: 36% of diagnoses for all patients and Fire 2: 30% of diagnoses for all patients) and asthma (Fire 1: 8% and Fire 2: 10% for adults; Fire 1: 15% and Fire 2: 15% for children).”

    From Wildfires and Atopic Diseases: A Review (2026) · cites this paper as [25]

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Cited by

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Authors
Blando, J., Allen, M., Galadima, H., Tolson, T., Akpinar-Elci, M., & Szklo-Coxe, M.
Affiliations
  • Old Dominion University (US)
  • Albemarle Allergy & Asthma PC, Elizabeth City, NC 27909, USA
  • School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
  • School of Community and Environmental Health, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
Corresponding author
Blando, James
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2022-01-22
Volume
19
Issue
3
Pages
1241
ISSN
1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ijerph19031241
PMC
PMC8835059
OpenAlex
W4207024770
Cited by
22
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1
FWCI
1.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
Keywords
wildfire smoke, allergy clinic patients, air quality, allergen sensitization, delayed immune response, air pollution health effects
MeSH terms
Wildfires, Air Pollutants, Environmental Exposure, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Longitudinal Studies, Smoke, Cohort Studies, Particulate Matter

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