Occupational airway diseases.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Schachter EN
• Description:
  Occupational airway diseases were reviewed with consideration of relevant definitions, disease prevalence, etiological agents and mechanisms, diagnostic measures, and prescribed therapies. Two syndromes, byssinosis and soy dust asthma, were described in detail. Airway disease syndromes associated with occupational exposure included industrial bronchitis, reactive airway dysfunction syndrome, bronchiolitis obliterans, and occupational asthma. The role of sensitization was said to be central to these diagnoses. Disease prevalence was attributed to the dustiness of industries and agents such as gases, fumes, large molecular weight substances, and low molecular weight substances. Host characteristics related to disease progression included atopy, cigarette smoking, airway hyperreactivity, preexisting lung disease, and genetic factors. Diagnosis was said to depend upon demonstration and characterization of the disease and establishment of its work related nature. Aside from obtaining a patient's medical history and conducting a physical examination, diagnostic testing also included chest x-rays, pulmonary function studies, skin tests, serum precipitins, nonspecific airway reactivity, specific inhalation challenge testing, bronchoalveolar lavage, and workplace studies. Therapeutic efforts by management were related to industry size, disease prevalence, federal regulations, mandated medical surveillance, job security, screening of new workers, smoking control, improved ventilation, medical therapy, and use of respirators and protective devices. The author concludes that occupational airway diseases account for a significant proportion of airway diseases but their relation to job circumstances is often unrecognized. Thorough clinical understanding and routine inquiry into potential work or environmental exposures was emphasized. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Diagnosis Lung Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Publication; NIOSH-Grant; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Occupational-exposure; Occupational-respiratory-disease; Etiology; Medical-treatment; Respiratory-system-disorders; Clinical-diagnosis; Therapeutic-agents; Lung-disorders
• ISSN:
  0027-2507
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  483-493
• Volume:
  58
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00204616
• Citation:
  Mt Sinai J Med 1991 Nov; 58(6):483-493
• Contact Point Address:
  E. Neil Schachter, M.D., Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1232, New York, NY 10029
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1992
• NORA Priority Area:
  Pulmonary System Disorders
• Performing Organization:
  Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19880701
• Source Full Name:
  Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine
• End Date:
  20020331
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/243101/cdc_243101_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]