Estimating changes in emergency department visits associated with floods caused by Tropical Storm Imelda using satellite observations and syndromic surveillance

Balaji Ramesh; Meredith A Jagger; Benjamin F Zaitchik; Korine N Kolivras; Samarth Swarup; Biru Yang; Bianca G Corpuz; Julia M Gohlke

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102757

Estimating changes in emergency department visits associated with floods caused by Tropical Storm Imelda using satellite observations and syndromic surveillance

Health Place. 2022 Mar:74:102757. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102757. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Authors

Balaji Ramesh¹, Meredith A Jagger², Benjamin F Zaitchik³, Korine N Kolivras¹, Samarth Swarup⁴, Biru Yang⁵, Bianca G Corpuz³, Julia M Gohlke⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geography, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 238 Wallace Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
² Independent Consultant, 2901 Barton Skyway, Apt 1203 Austin, TX, 7874, USA.
³ Morton K. Blaustein Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
⁴ Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400298, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
⁵ Houston Health Department, 8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX, 77054, USA.
⁶ Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 205 Duckpond Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA. Electronic address: jgohlke@vt.edu.

PMID: 35131607
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102757

Abstract

Background: Satellite observations following flooding coupled with electronic health data collected through syndromic surveillance systems (SyS) may be useful in efficiently characterizing and responding to health risks associated with flooding.

Results: There was a 10% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1%-19%) increase in asthma related ED visits and 22% (95% CI: 5%-41%) increase in insect bite related ED visits in the flooded ZCTAs compared to non-flooded ZCTAs during the flood period. One month following the floods, diarrhea related ED visits were increased by 15% (95% CI: 4%-27%) for flooded ZCTAs and children and adolescents from flooded ZCTAs had elevated risk for dehydration related ED visits. During the protracted period (2-3 months after the flood period), the risk for asthma, insect bite, and diarrhea related ED visits were elevated among the flooded ZCTAs. Effect modification by reported age, ethnicity and race was observed.

Conclusion: Combining satellite observations with SyS data can be helpful in characterizing the location and timing of environmentally mediated adverse health outcomes, which may be useful for refining disaster resilience measures to mitigate health outcomes following flooding.

Keywords: Emergency department visits; Flood exposure; Health outcomes; Remote sensing; Syndromic surveillance; Tropical storm imelda.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Asthma*
Child
Cyclonic Storms*
Diarrhea / epidemiology
Emergency Service, Hospital
Floods
Humans
Insect Bites and Stings*
Sentinel Surveillance