Association Between Air Pollution, Neighborhood Opportunity, and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Admissions in Acute Respiratory Illness.

Abstract

This retrospective study examined 673 children admitted to a single pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for associations between PM2.5 exposure, neighborhood deprivation, and PICU length of stay (LOS) for acute respiratory illness. Higher PM2.5 was correlated with longer LOS, especially during respiratory season. Child Opportunity Index was not independently associated with LOS, but inclusion of this marker strengthened the association between PM2.5 and LOS.