Wildfire Smoke Exposure Poses Threat to AtRisk Populations

What You Need To Know

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reminding healthcare professionals seeing patients affected by wildfire smoke to be alert to the possible adverse effects of smoke exposure, particularly among individuals at higher risk of severe outcomes.
• Wildfire smoke exposure may exacerbate respiratory, metabolic, and cardiovascular chronic conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congestive heart failure.

Climate change is affected due to the increase in frequency of wildfires in certain regions of the United States. Wildfires produce high volumes of smoke leading to unhealthy air quality up to hundreds of miles away from the fire. Patients who are near the fire source may have smoke inhalation injury.

For More Information

To view up-to-date wildfire information, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Protection.