The Canadian Medical Journal issues a warning about fire smoke

The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) suggests that it may become necessary for some Canadians to wear N95 or KN95 respirators to offset the harmful effects of this summer’s wildfire smoke.

An article in the latest online edition of the Journal said that exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with negative health outcomes.

The article cited data from studies conducted in 2017, which do not take into account that last summer was reported as one of the worst ever for wildfires in Canada.

Wildfire seasons are getting longer and more severe in Canada, the article says. Fire smoke caused 710 emergency department visits for respiratory conditions and 250 for cardiac conditions in 2017, the article said.

On wildfire smoke days in the United States, asthma-specific hospital visits increased by 10.3 percent, and nontraumatic deaths increased by one to two percent from 2006 to 2017, the article said.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issues hourly reports on the local AQHI (air quality health index), which uses a scale of 1 to 10. When the AQHI is greater than 7, people at risk—such as those with respiratory and other chronic diseases, pregnant women, older adults, and infants and children — should reduce the time they spend in strenuous outdoor activities, the article said.

The Environment Canada website includes air quality lists for most Canadian cities, including Sudbury.

The article said doctors should talk to their at-risk patients about the risks of fire smoke and strategies to reduce their exposure. Patients should be informed about IQA and the value of indoor air filtration. Patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should have up-to-date action plans and a sufficient supply of medications, the article says.

There are actions people can take to reduce their exposure to fire smoke hazards.

“Staying indoors with the windows closed and using high-efficiency particulate air or home-made air purifiers can reduce the concentration of fine particles by 32 to 88 percent.”

Patients can claim these prescription devices as medical expenses on their tax returns. When spending time outdoors, wearing tight-fitting respirators (eg, N95 or KN95) can minimize exposure to fine particles by more than 90%. Some areas can provide clean air shelters for the under-sheltered, the article said.

The article was written by Elaheh Ghodsi and Mehdi Aloosh, representing the Center de Recherche du CHUM Montréal (Ghodsi); and Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (Aloosh), Windsor, Ont. (Aloosh); and also the Department of Health Research Methods, McMaster University, Hamilton.

A full version of the report can be found online here.