Rapid decline in lung function in coal miners: evidence of disease in small airways

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beeckman-Wagner, Lu-Ann F. ; Hogg JP ; Petsonk, Edward L. ; Stansbury RC ; Wang M-L
• Description:
  Background: Coal mine dust exposure can cause both pneumoconiosis and chronic airflow limitation. The contributions of various pathophysiologic mechanisms to dustrelated lung function decrements remain unclear. Methods: Clinical and physiological findings were assessed for 15 underground coal miners who had demonstrated accelerated FEV1 losses (decliners) over 6-18 years. Decliners' findings were evaluated in comparison to a group of 11 miners who had shown relatively stable lung function (referents) during the same period. Results: At follow-up examination, the decliners showed significantly greater mean airway resistance (10.47 vs. 6.78 cmH2O/L/s; P = 0.05) and more air trapping (RV/ TLC = 37.5 vs. 29.1%; P < 0.01) compared to the referents. Decliners also demonstrated more evidence of small airways dysfunction and tended to have more bronchospasm than the referent group. Total lung capacity, lung compliance, diffusing capacity, and chest radiography did not differ significantly between the two groups. After cessation of mine dust exposures, the decliners' mean rate of FEV1 loss normalized. Conclusion: In a series of working coal miners, accelerated lung function declines were associated with air trapping and evidence of small airways dysfunction. A preventive benefit from controlling dust exposures was suggested [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Dust Lung Lung Diseases Mining Occupational Health Particulate Matter Pathology Pneumoconiosis Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety

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• Keywords:
  Airway-obstruction Author Keywords: Small Airway Disease Bronchial Hyperreactivity Coal-dust Coal-mining Coal-workers Coal Mining Dust-particles Dusts Lung-disorders Lung-function Mining-industry Obstructive Lung Disease Particulate-dust Particulates Physiology Pneumoconiosis Pulmonary-disorders Pulmonary-function Pulmonary-system Pulmonary-system-disorders Respirable-dust Respiration Respiratory-system-disorders Spirometry Statistical-analysis Surveillance Underground-miners Underground-mining

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• 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
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  56
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043077
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2013 Sep; 56(9):1107-1112
• Contact Point Address:
  Robert C. Stansbury, MD, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine,West Virginia University, 4075A Health Sciences Center North, Morgantown,WV 26505-9166
• Email:
  rstansbury@hsc.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cb372c9e97800e0dda9a73fdf0e06ad63d37ee07fcfd5d7f381b6873553b66ed7cae3608399478b222dbab2761f2a5cb1ed9fb48a137e4acdd1aee8ba5704bba
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195094/cdc_195094_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 89.88 KB ]