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Evidences for Confirmation of an Epidemic in Acute Respiratory Syndrome Crisis Among Residents of Ahwaz November 2013



Etemad K1 ; Heidari A2 ; Nadafi K3 ; Panahi MH4 ; Ahmadnejad E5 ; Malekafzali SH6 ; Najmi M7 ; Idani E8 ; Amiri H9 ; Khorami Z9 ; Rajaee Behbahani N9 ; Davoodi F9 ; Taravatmanesh S9 ; Malekifar A9 Show All Authors
Authors
  1. Etemad K1
  2. Heidari A2
  3. Nadafi K3
  4. Panahi MH4
  5. Ahmadnejad E5
  6. Malekafzali SH6
  7. Najmi M7
  8. Idani E8
  9. Amiri H9
  10. Khorami Z9
  11. Rajaee Behbahani N9
  12. Davoodi F9
  13. Taravatmanesh S9
  14. Malekifar A9
  15. Nejatifar M9
  16. Lotfi M10
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, School of Public Health, Shahid beheshti, University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. National Institute of Health Research, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. Environmental Health Engineering, Environment and Occupational Health Center, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Noncomunicable Diseases Center, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran
  8. 8. Department of Pulmonology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
  9. 9. Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  10. 10. Health Services Management, Office of Knowledge Translation and Research Utilization, Deputy of Research and Technology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Iranian Journal of Epidemiology Published:2016

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Ahvaz has become one of the most polluted cities in the world. Only on 11 November 2013, over one thousand residents in Khuzestan Province attended the nearest health center with severe symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and high blood pressure. During a week, more than 7 thousand patients were registered with this syndrome. This study was conducted to investigate the evidence for the confirmation of an epidemic in acute respiratory syndrome among the residents of Ahwaz in November 2013. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the data of the use of drugs related to acute respiratory attacks from November 2008 to 2013 in Ahvaz. Then, we conducted a descriptive study on the general population. The sample size was 120 and the study participants included different segments of the general population. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire and the data were analyzed using SPSS.18. Results: The use of the respiratory drugs increased from 2008 to 2013. The drug consumption was markedly higher in November 2013. In the study of the general population, 93% of the participants declared that they had never seen a similar event, and 92.5% mentioned that they had never heard of a similar occurrence. Conclusion: Due to the significant increase in respiratory medicine in November 2013 and the unexpected nature of the event, an epidemic seems to be obvious. © 2016, Iranian Epidemiological Association. All rights reserved.