The intracontinental impact of Canadian wildfires on US asthma and COPD patients and atmospheric conditions

This study aims to assess the impact of the Canadian wildfires of May–June 2023 on hospital visits for asthma and COPD across the United States, highlighting the far-reaching effects of wildfire smoke exposure.

Hospitalization statistics, patient demographics, and patient asthma and COPD severity were sourced from the TriNetX US collaborative network to track the surge in patients seeking care for asthma and COPD across different geographical areas during the wildfire period. The patient cohort was centered on the May–June 2023 wildfire smoke wave, with information collected from 1 week before to 1 week after the event. Air quality data from AirNow.gov were obtained as a means of identifying smoke-impacted days, and to best represent the air quality for the largest number of patients.

The analysis included 86,243 patients across 63 healthcare organizations. A significant increase in hospital visits for asthma and COPD was observed during the week of the wildfires, with an average of 9.34 additional patients per facility. The Northeast region experienced the most substantial increase, with an average of 15 more patients per healthcare organization.

The study demonstrates that wildfires can directly impact patient health and healthcare utilization rates hundreds of miles away. The findings underscore the necessity for proactive measures and cross-border collaboration to mitigate the health implications of wildfire smoke on vulnerable populations.