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Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... Nov 2022Industrial workers are exposed to dust and pollutants and thus they get occupational disorders when exposed for a long duration. Occupational diseases mainly affect the...
BACKGROUND
Industrial workers are exposed to dust and pollutants and thus they get occupational disorders when exposed for a long duration. Occupational diseases mainly affect the respiratory system more than other systems. Some of the respiratory occupation disorders are asbestosis, silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, work-related asthma, and so on, as the duration of exposure of pollutants increases the pulmonary function decreases.
METHOD
A total of 100 subjects working in the Brick factories near Wardha district, Maharashtra were examined using a portable spirometer. Their pulmonary function test was assessed three times and the best out of three values was taken. A pretested questionnaire was filled out by the workers which consisted of their sociodemographic details. Consent was obtained from all the subjects for this in their native language. Similarly, a pretested questionnaire was filled by 50 subjects among the normal population, that is, those not working in brick factories, and consent was obtained from all. And then, their pulmonary function test was carried out using a portable spirometer and the best out of the three values was taken. Statistical analysis was done by using descriptive and inferential statistics using the software.
RESULTS
As analyzed by the pulmonary function test data values collected among the brick factory workers and the control group, there was a significant decrease seen in the values of the pulmonary function test of brick factory workers. And as analyzed by the pulmonary function test values of smokers and non-smokers among the brick factory workers, it was seen that there was a significant value of 0.0001, thus a decrease in pulmonary function test among smokers.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we evaluate the respiratory function test among the brick factory workers and the control group and make the workers aware of the damage their habits have on their lung capacity and function based on the evaluation of the predicted and the actual value and thus helps them lead a better life. In this study, we also compare the values of pulmonary function tests among the brick factory workers and control groups.
PubMed: 36993005
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_504_22 -
Genes Mar 2023Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in...
Inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause lung inflammation and the later development of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, and the use of asbestos is banned in many countries. In most countries, large amounts of asbestos exists within building stock, buried in landfills, and in contaminated soil. Mechanical, thermal, and chemical treatment options do exist, but these are expensive, and they are not effective for contaminated soil, where only small numbers of asbestos fibres may be present in a large volume of soil. Research has been underway for the last 20 years into the potential use of microbial action to remove iron and other metal cations from the surface of asbestos fibres to reduce their toxicity. To access sufficient iron for metabolism, many bacteria and fungi produce organic acids, or iron-chelating siderophores, and in a growing number of experiments these have been found to degrade asbestos fibres in vitro. This paper uses the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 16S amplicon sequencing to investigate the fungal and bacterial diversity found on naturally-occurring asbestos minerals, asbestos-containing building materials, and asbestos-contaminated soils with a view to later selectively culturing promising species, screening them for siderophore production, and testing them with asbestos fibres in vitro. After filtering, 895 ITS and 1265 16S amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) were detected across the 38 samples, corresponding to a range of fungal, bacteria, cyanobacterial, and lichenized fungal species. Samples from Auckland (North Island, New Zealand) asbestos cement, Auckland asbestos-contaminated soils, and raw asbestos rocks from Kahurangi National Park (South Island, New Zealand) were comprised of very different microbial communities. Five of the fungal species detected in this study are known to produce siderophores.
Topics: Siderophores; New Zealand; Asbestos; Iron; Bacteria; Soil
PubMed: 36981000
DOI: 10.3390/genes14030729 -
Environmental Research Aug 2023Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy with a strong association with prior asbestos exposure. A percentage of cases is not related to asbestos, and...
Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare malignancy with a strong association with prior asbestos exposure. A percentage of cases is not related to asbestos, and fiber analysis of lung tissue is a useful methodology for identifying idiopathic or spontaneous cases. We have performed fiber analyses in more than 600 cases of mesothelioma over the past four decades and were interested in looking for trends in terms of fiber types and concentrations as well as percentages of cases not related to asbestos. Demographic information was also considered including patient age, gender, and tumor location (pleural vs. peritoneal). The histologic pattern of the tumor and the presence or absence of pleural plaques or asbestosis were noted. Fiber analysis was performed in 619 cases, using the sodium hypochlorite technique for digestion of lung tissue samples. Asbestos bodies were counted by light microscopy (LM) and coated and uncoated fibers by scanning electron microscopy (EM). The results were stratified over four decades. Trends that were observed included increasing patient age, increasing percentage of women, increasing percentage of peritoneal cases, and increasing percentage of epithelial histological type. There was a decreasing trend in the percentage of patients with concomitant asbestosis (p < 0.001). The percentage of cases with an elevated lung asbestos content decreased from 90.5% in the 1980s to 54.1% in the 2010s (p < 0.001). This trend also held when the analysis was limited to 490 cases of pleural mesothelioma in men (91.8% in the 1980s vs. 65.1% in the 2010s). There was a decrease in the median asbestos body count by LM from 1390 asbestos bodies per gram of wet lung in the 1980s to 38 AB/gm in the 2010s. Similar trends were observed for each of the asbestos fiber types as detected by EM. We conclude that there has been a progressive decrease in lung fiber content of mesothelioma patients during the past four decades, with an increasing percentage of cases not related to asbestos and an increase in median patient age.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Asbestos; Asbestosis; Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Mesothelioma; Mesothelioma, Malignant; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 36965800
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114530 -
International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023The lack of safe levels of asbestos exposure and the long latency of asbestos-related disease (ARD) makes workers' health surveillance challenging, especially in...
UNLABELLED
The lack of safe levels of asbestos exposure and the long latency of asbestos-related disease (ARD) makes workers' health surveillance challenging, especially in lower-income countries. This paper aims to present the recently developed Brazilian system for monitoring workers and general population exposed to asbestos (Datamianto), and to discuss the main challenges and opportunities for workers' health surveillance.
METHODS
a descriptive study of the Datamianto development process, examining all the stages of system planning, development, improvement, validation, availability, and training of health services for its use, in addition to presenting the main challenges and opportunities for its implementation.
RESULTS
The system was developed by a group of software developers, workers' health specialists, and practitioners, and it was recently incorporated by the Ministry of Health to be used for workers' health surveillance. It can facilitate the monitoring of exposed individuals, epidemiological data analysis, promote cooperation between health services, and ensure periodical medical screening guaranteed to workers by labor legislation. Moreover, the system has a Business Intelligence (BI) platform to analyze epidemiologic data and produce near real-time reports.
CONCLUSIONS
Datamianto can support and qualify the healthcare and surveillance of asbestos-exposed workers and ARD, promoting a better quality of life for workers and improving companies' compliance with legislation. Even so, the system's significance, applicability, and longevity will depend on the efforts aimed at its implementation and improvement.
Topics: Humans; Asbestosis; Brazil; Quality of Life; Occupational Exposure; Population Surveillance; Asbestos; Mesothelioma; Lung Neoplasms
PubMed: 36901302
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054295 -
Journal of Occupational Medicine and... Feb 2023Patients with work-related lung disease (WRLD) are at increased risk of death caused by severe lung tissue damage and fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the clinical...
BACKGROUND
Patients with work-related lung disease (WRLD) are at increased risk of death caused by severe lung tissue damage and fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of lung transplantation (LTx) for WRLD and compare the results of LTx between WRLD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
METHODS
This single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed the clinical data of patients who underwent LTx for WRLD or IPF at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2021. Cumulative survival rates after LTx were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS
The final analysis included 33 cases of WRLD and 91 cases of IPF. The 33 WRLD patients consisted of 19 (57.6%) cases of silicosis, 8 (24.2%) cases of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, 3 (9.09%) cases of asbestosis, and 3 (9.09%) cases of other WRLD. Pneumothorax as an indication for LTx was significantly more common in the WRLD group than in the IPF group (51.5% vs. 2.2%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the 5-year cumulative survival rate between the WRLD patients and the IPF patients (66.6% vs. 56.7%, P = 0.67). There was no significant difference in the best performance of exercise capacity and lung function between the two groups at 1 year post-transplant.
CONCLUSIONS
LTx had similar survival outcomes and lung function for WRLD and IPF patients. Pneumothorax was the primary indication for lung transplantation in WRLD.
PubMed: 36782253
DOI: 10.1186/s12995-023-00368-4 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022The use of historical asbestos measurement data in occupational exposure assessment is essential as it allows more quantitative analysis of possible exposure response...
The use of historical asbestos measurement data in occupational exposure assessment is essential as it allows more quantitative analysis of possible exposure response relationships in asbestos-related disease (ARD) occurrence. The aim of this study was to predict possible ARDs, namely lung cancer, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer, and asbestosis, in two chrysotile asbestos cement (AC) manufacturing factories. Prediction of ARDs was done using a specific designed job-exposure matrix for airborne chrysotile asbestos fibre concentrations obtained from the Harare and Bulawayo AC factories and through application of OSHA's linear dose effect model in which ARDs were estimated through extrapolation at 1, 10, 20, and 25 years of exposure. The results show that more cancer and asbestosis cases are likely to be experienced among those exposed before 2008 as exposure levels and subsequently cumulative exposure were generally much higher than those experienced after 2008. After a possible exposure period of 25 years, overall cancer cases predicted in the Harare factory were 325 cases per 100,000 workers, while for the Bulawayo factory, 347 cancer cases per 100,000 workers exposed may be experienced. Possible high numbers of ARDs are likely to be associated with specific tasks/job titles, e.g., saw cutting, kollergang, fettling table, ground hard waste, and possibly pipe-making operations, as cumulative exposures, though lower than reported in other studies, may present higher risk of health impairment. The study gives insights into possible ARDs, namely lung cancer, mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer, and asbestosis, that may be anticipated at various cumulative exposures over 1, 10, 20, and 25 years of exposure in AC manufacturing factories in Zimbabwe. Additionally, results from the study can also form a basis for more in-depth assessment of asbestos cancer morbidity studies in the AC manufacturing industries.
Topics: Humans; Asbestos, Serpentine; Asbestosis; Zimbabwe; Asbestos; Mesothelioma; Lung Neoplasms; Occupational Exposure; Mesothelioma, Malignant
PubMed: 36612385
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010058 -
European Radiology May 2023In many countries, workers who developed asbestosis due to their occupation are eligible for government support. Based on the results of clinical examination, a team of...
OBJECTIVES
In many countries, workers who developed asbestosis due to their occupation are eligible for government support. Based on the results of clinical examination, a team of pulmonologists determine the eligibility of patients to these programs. In this Dutch cohort study, we aim to demonstrate the potential role of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system for automated, standardized, and cost-effective evaluation of applications for asbestosis patients.
METHODS
A dataset of n = 523 suspected asbestosis cases/applications from across the Netherlands was retrospectively collected. Each case/application was reviewed, and based on the criteria, a panel of three pulmonologists would determine eligibility for government support. An AI system is proposed, which uses thoracic CT images as input, and predicts the assessment of the clinical panel. Alongside imaging, we evaluated the added value of lung function parameters.
RESULTS
The proposed AI algorithm reached an AUC of 0.87 (p < 0.001) in the prediction of accepted versus rejected applications. Diffusion capacity (DLCO) also showed comparable predictive value (AUC = 0.85, p < 0.001), with little correlation between the two parameters (r-squared = 0.22, p < 0.001). The combination of the imaging AI score and DLCO achieved superior performance (AUC = 0.95, p < 0.001). Interobserver variability between pulmonologists on the panel was estimated at alpha = 0.65 (Krippendorff's alpha).
CONCLUSION
We developed an AI system to support the clinical decision-making process for the application to the government support for asbestosis. A multicenter prospective validation study is currently ongoing to examine the added value and reliability of this system alongside the clinic panel.
KEY POINTS
• Artificial intelligence can detect imaging patterns of asbestosis in CT scans in a cohort of patients applying for state aid. • Combining the AI prediction with the diffusing lung function parameter reaches the highest diagnostic performance. • Specific cases with fibrosis but no asbestosis were correctly classified, suggesting robustness of the AI system, which is currently under prospective validation.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Retrospective Studies; Cohort Studies; Reproducibility of Results; Asbestosis
PubMed: 36567379
DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-09304-2 -
Clinical Practice and Cases in... Nov 2022A 75-year-old man with a history of asbestosis presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset dyspnea and hemoptysis, triggered by coughing. The patient was...
CASE PRESENTATION
A 75-year-old man with a history of asbestosis presented to the emergency department with sudden-onset dyspnea and hemoptysis, triggered by coughing. The patient was hemodynamically unstable and in respiratory distress. Computed tomography revealed a massive hemothorax on the left side and compression of the descending thoracic aorta. He underwent emergency surgical exploration after decompression by chest tube insertion. The hemothorax was caused by tears in the pleural adhesions due to asbestosis and induced by coughing.
DISCUSSION
Spontaneous hemothorax is a rare subtype of hemothorax. There have been only a few case reports of spontaneous tension hemothorax. In addition to its typical findings, compression of the thoracic descending aorta was observed in our patient. We hypothesize that severely diminished pulmonary compliance contributed to the extremely high intrathoracic pressure, which led to this unusual finding.
PubMed: 36427035
DOI: 10.5811/cpcem.2022.6.57031 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Jan 2023This work reviews the bio-chemical mechanisms leading to adverse effects produced when mineral fibres are inhaled and transported in the lungs from the perspective of a... (Review)
Review
This work reviews the bio-chemical mechanisms leading to adverse effects produced when mineral fibres are inhaled and transported in the lungs from the perspective of a mineralogist. The behaviour of three known carcinogenic mineral fibres (crocidolite, chrysotile, and fibrous-asbestiform erionite) during their journey through the upper respiratory tract, the deep respiratory tract and the pleural cavity is discussed. These three fibres have been selected as they are the most socially and economically relevant mineral fibres representative of the classes of chain silicates (amphiboles), layer silicates (serpentine), and framework silicates (zeolites), respectively. Comparison of the behaviour of these fibres is made according to their specific crystal-chemical assemblages and properties. Known biological and subsequent pathologic effects which lead and contribute to carcinogenesis are critically reviewed under the mineralogical perspective and in relation to recent progress in this multidisciplinary field of research. Special attention is given to the understanding of the cause-effect relationships for lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Comparison with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, or "asbestosis", will also be made here. This overview highlights open issues, data gaps, and conflicts in the literature for these topics, especially as regards relative potencies of the three mineral fibres under consideration for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Finally, an attempt is made to identify future research lines suitable for a general comprehensive model of the carcinogenicity of mineral fibres.
Topics: Humans; Mineral Fibers; Asbestos, Crocidolite; Asbestos, Serpentine; Zeolites; Asbestos, Amphibole; Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Asbestos
PubMed: 36209608
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130077 -
Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences 2021Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders (such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, and pneumonitis)... (Review)
Review
Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders (such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, and pneumonitis) characterized by lung parenchymal impairment, inflammation, and fibrosis. The shortness of breath (i.e., dyspnea) is a hallmark and disabling symptom of ILDs. Patients with ILDs may also exhibit skeletal muscle dysfunction, oxygen desaturation, abnormal respiratory patterns, pulmonary hypertension, and decreased cardiac function, contributing to exercise intolerance and limitation of day-to-day activities. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) including physical exercise is an evidence-based approach to benefit functional capacity, dyspnea, and quality of life in ILD patients. However, despite recent advances and similarities with other lung diseases, the field of PR for patients with ILD requires further evidence. This mini-review aims to explore the exercise-based PR delivered around the world and evidence supporting prescription modes, considering type, intensity, and frequency components, as well as efficacy and safety of exercise training in ILDs. This review will be able to strengthen the rationale for exercise training recommendations as a core component of the PR for ILD patients.
PubMed: 36188788
DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2021.744102