A multidisciplinary team of UC Davis Health experts are calling on health systems to create wildfire preparedness action plans to support patients with preexisting respiratory diseases. They are urging providers to proactively put in place interventions to mitigate the effects of poor air quality from smoke. Their article, published in the Journal of the COPD Foundation , identifies the needs of high-risk populations when affected by wildfire smoke.
It outlines an action plan for health systems to help these groups with the burdens of poor air quality from wildfires. Patients being treated for respiratory conditions are at high-risk of exacerbations of symptoms when they are exposed to wildfire smoke. Unfortunately, wildfire frequency and severity are increasing in the United States and negatively affecting these clinically at-risk and underserved communities.
So, there is a significant need for us to install interventions to mitigate the health threat posed by wildfires." Reshma Gupta, chief of population health and accountable care at UC Davis Health and co-author of the article Health impacts of poor air quality Many components of wildfire smoke can have adverse impacts on health, especially for those with preexisting respiratory diseases. Currently more than 34 million people living in the United States live with a chronic lung disease like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) according to the American Lung Associat.