Airborne pollen and hospital admissions for asthma: daily time series

<bold>Background:</bold> Airborne pollen can contribute to hospital admissions for asthma attacks, but no studies have examined this relationship in New Zealand. <bold>Aims:</bold> To examine the relationship between airborne pollen and hospital admissions for asthma in Auckland. <bold>Methods:</bold> A time series analysis was conducted to examine associations between pollen count and asthma admissions in Auckland from July to December 2023. Daily pollen data were collected prospectively using a standard Hirst-type volumetric pollen trap in central Auckland. Daily Auckland hospitalisation data for asthma attacks were obtained for the same time period. The Granger causality test was used to examine the relationships between pollen count and the number of patients hospitalised for asthma, allowing for up to 30-day time lags between exposure and admission. <bold>Results:</bold> A total of 181 days’ of data were analysed (Fig. 1). A significant relationship between daily pollen count and hospital admissions for asthma to Auckland hospital was found, which was significant with a lag of 1 day (F=4.324, p=0.039) but not significant at any other lags. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA3125/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig> <italic>Fig. 1: Time series data for pollen and asthma hospitalisation</italic> <bold>Conclusions:</bold> Preliminary data on airborne pollen counts in Auckland appear to be related to hospitalisations for asthma. Further work to explore the relationship between different pollen types and asthma hospitalisations is warranted to inform healthcare planning and support preventative measures.