Objective To correlate hospital attendance for wheezing treated with nebulizer therapy with pollutant levels recorded in ambient air in Colombo.Setting Emergency treatment unit (ETU) of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo.Design A prospective observational case control study.Method Attendance at the ETU for nebulizer therapy was recorded daily for 12 months. ETU attendance for conditions other than wheezing served as controls. The case and control attendance rates were correlated with daily maximum and minimum one hour average levels of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in ambient air as measured by the continuous pollution monitor situated in the Fort, Colombo.Results 30,932 children needed nebulizer therapy in the ETU (median daily attendance 85) during the period of 12 months. The control population was 10,100 children (median daily attendance 28). The pattern of pollutant levels and attendance rates for wheezing showed a correlation on a time series.Conclusion Air pollution levels in Colombo correlated significantly with hospital attendance rates for wheezing needing emergency treatment. The highest recorded levels of sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in ambient air showed a significant correlation with the highest hospital attendance rates, and the lowest pollutant levels with the lowest hospital attendance rates. We conclude that vehicle related pollutants in ambient air in Colombo are affecting the respiratory health of children. _________________________________________

Objective To assess awareness on anti-epileptic therapy among parents of epileptic children.