ER visits up 20% in past week as poor air quality continues, says Northwestern Medicine doctor

DeKALB – A Northwestern Medicine doctor said poor air quality created by Canadian wildfires that blanketed northern Illinois with smoke this week is likely leading to increased emergency department visits and respiratory complaints.

Dr. Jeremy Silver, director of the Emergency Department at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb, said over the past week his department has seen about a 20% increase in patient visits. Respiratory complaints also have increased at a similar rate, he said.

“We have looked at the data and it does correlate with an increase in visits ... so I can’t prove that it’s causal,” Silver said Wednesday. “But I think intuitively we’d expect to see at least a little bit of a bump, although, not all [Northwestern Medicine] campuses have seen the same type of data.”

According to the National Weather Service, Will, Kane, DeKalb, McHenry, Ogle, Kendall, La Salle and DuPage counties in northern Illinois are under an air quality alert as smoke continues to bring haze and poor air conditions to the region. That alert is set to end at midnight Wednesday, but National Weather Service officials aren’t entirely sure when air quality will improve in Illinois.

“What we’re seeing in the air is small and large particulate matter from the Canadian wildfires, and that kind of debris, both the kind you can see when you look at the sun in the sky ... and the kind you can’t see, but you can feel it when you breath and the air feels kind of heavy, some of that can be filtered by an N95 mask.”

—  Dr. Jeremy Silver of Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital's emergency department in DeKalb

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also reported that the number of fine particulate matter suspended in the air for Wednesday and Thursday is hazardous to human health.

Silver said the air quality is dangerous to everybody, but especially older and younger individuals and those with asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, diabetics and previous heart or kidney failures. Everyone, however, is encouraged to reduce long or intense outdoor activity and take more breaks the activity, according to the air quality alert.

Or another tip – one made familiar by the COVID-19 pandemic: Wear a mask, Silver said.

“Masking actually is an option,” Silver said. “What we’re seeing in the air is small and large particulate matter from the Canadian wildfires, and that kind of debris, both the kind you can see when you look at the sun in the sky ... and the kind you can’t see, but you can feel it when you breath and the air feels kind of heavy, some of that can be filtered by an N95 mask.”

While N95 masks can help lessen the health affects of the current air quality, Silver said the number one thing people can do is just stay indoors “until the coast is clear.”

“So even if you’re young and healthy and were planning on playing tennis or going to a soccer match, I might defer that on a day like today where the levels of particulate matter are so high,” Silver said.

Air alert cancels activities across DeKalb County

Some outdoor activities in DeKalb County were canceled this week, heeding the advice of health professionals.

A DeKalb Municipal Band concert set for Tuesday night also was canceled.

Courtney Walz, director of Sycamore Community School District 427′s Out of School Care program, said she and Sycamore Superintendent Steve Wilder made the decision to cancel a planned field trip to the Genoa Park District pool Wednesday because of the air quality alert. The out-of-school care program also capped students’ outdoor play to 10-minute increments.

“And that really is very limited to only once if ... they needed their wiggles out,” Walz said. “A lot of our students may have significant needs, or asthma or something, so we just want to be respectful of everyone and make sure our students stay safe, as well as our staff.”

Walz said if the air quality Thursday is anything like what DeKalb County experienced Wednesday then the program will continue to limit outdoor time for the students.

Considering the uptick in emergency department visits, and respiratory complaints Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital has seen over the past week, Silver said anyone experiencing excessive coughing or wheezing or shortness of breath should seek help from a medical professional.

“Alternatively, if you have a friend or a loved one who looks like they are in any kind of distress, that would be an indication to seek help,” Silver said. “But certainly, if you have any concern at all that there might be a problem, don’t hesitate to come to the emergency room. We’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we’d be happy to see and evaluate you.”