The Impact of Air Temperature and Pollution on Admissions for Acute Ophthalmic Inflammation at the Emergency Eye Department in Katowice, Poland, from 2011 to 2023.

Purpose: To determine if significant correlations occur between recorded values for a) annual temperature, b) air pollution levels, and the prevalence of acute ophthalmic inflammation among patients attending an eye emergency department in an urban setting between 2011 and 2023.

Patients and methods: A data bank of cases that attended an eye emergency unit (Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland) between 1/1/2011 and 31/12/2023 was accessed. Cases were classified into inflammatory or noninflammatory ophthalmic groups. The former were then subdivided into subgroups for blepharitis, orbital inflammation, lacrimal system inflammation, conjunctivitis, scleritis, keratitis, uveitis with retinitis, endophthalmitis, and optic neuritis. Data on local temperatures and air pollution levels were obtained from available official publications.

Results: Reporting key results (p < 0.05).Total attending the emergency unit increased from 8,172 to 14,261 (8854 during pandemic lockdown in 2020), prevalence of all acute ophthalmic inflammation (y) decreased from 64.70% to 55.40% and prevalence of conjunctivitis within this group decreased from 53.96% to 36.23%.Annual average (±SD) temperature (x, °C) in Silesia increased from 8.33°C (±9.18°) in 2010 to 10.64°C (±6.83°C) in 2020 (paired t-test, p = 0.04). Curvi-linear regression revealed, y = 1.915x³-55.624x²+534.09x-1631.2, (n = 10, r²= 0.489).Prevalence of conjunctivitis was directly correlated with atmospheric concentrations of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter in suspended dust with a diameter≤10 microns.After factoring all cases of conjunctivitis, a) prevalence of endophthalmitis, uveitis with retinitis, and scleritis were negatively correlated with temperature, b) atmospheric concentrations of certain pollutants were positively correlated with the prevalence of endophthalmitis, uveitis with retinitis, scleritis and keratitis; and negatively correlated with the prevalence of orbital and lacrimal inflammation, blepharitis, and optic neuritis.

Conclusion: Air pollutants and temperature are linked to the prevalence of certain acute ophthalmic inflammations. Some correlations are negative suggesting some protection against the development of certain conditions. However, negative correlational effects do not necessarily imply negative causal effects.