Notes from the Field: Update: Silicosis Mortality – United States, 1999–2013

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Mazurek, Jacek M. ; Schleiff, Patricia L. ; Wood, John M. ; Hendricks, Scott A. ; Weston, Ainsley
• Description:
  Silicosis is a potentially fatal but preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica (silica) (1). Chronic silicosis, the most common form, occurs after exposure to relatively low silica concentrations for >10 years. Accelerated silicosis occurs after 5-10 years of exposure to higher silica levels, and acute silicosis can occur after only weeks or months of exposure to extremely high silica concentrations. New national mortality data for silicosis have become available since a previous report on silicosis surveillance was published earlier this year. CDC reviewed multiple cause-of-death mortality files from the National Center for Health Statistics to analyze deaths from silicosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnosis code J62: a pneumoconiosis due to dust containing silica) reported during 1999-2013. Each record lists one underlying cause of death (the disease or injury that initiated the chain of events that led directly and inevitably to death), and up to 20 contributing causes of death (other significant conditions contributing to death but not resulting in underlying cause). Available death certificates from 35 states were reviewed for the period 2004-2006 to identify occupations associated with silicosis among decedents aged 15-44 years. Results indicate that despite substantial progress in eliminating silicosis, silicosis deaths continue to occur. Of particular concern are silicosis deaths in young adults (aged 15-44 years). These young deaths likely reflect higher exposures than those causing chronic silicosis mortality in older persons, some of sufficient magnitude to cause severe disease and death after relatively short periods of exposure. A total of 12 such deaths occurred during 2011-2013, with nine that had silicosis listed as the underlying cause of death. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Dust Lung Diseases Mortality Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide

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• Keywords:
  Surveillance-programs; Respiratory-system-disorders; Silicosis; Silica-dusts; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Lung-disease; Lung-disorders; Respirable-dust; Occupational-exposure; Occupations; Employee-exposure; Mortality-data; Mortality-rates; Mathematical-models; Statistical-analysis; Age-groups; Humans; Men; Women; Occupational-diseases; Dust-exposure
• Source:
  MMWR 2015 Jun; 64(23):653-654
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  2 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Weissman, David N. ; Doney, Brent C.
• Volume:
  64
• Issue:
  23
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046339
• Citation:
  MMWR 2015 Jun; 64(23):653-654
• Email:
  jmazurek1@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:831bbc16b958c4efa578ca1d9c83e64b203d904472f9088ccf454c178ab2a8ef7e6db02e829efa30afd1507520b0695fcd439ee4ec02f1fbbf17d8a6d101bd63
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183210/cdc_183210_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 279.89 KB ]