Sandblasting denim using silica has emerged as a new cause of silicosis in Turkey. Following the discovery of several cases of silicosis in (young) workers who used this process, the frequency and main occupational risk factors of silicosis among former denim sandblasters in the region of Erzurum (Turkey) were evaluated.Demographic characteristics and information on working conditions were obtained by questionnaire and interview. In addition, spirometry testing was performed and chest radiographs were evaluated according to International Labour Office (ILO) classification of pneumoconioses in 157 former denim sandblasters.All subjects were male, with a mean (range) age of 23 (15-44) yrs. They had worked for a mean (range) of 36 (1-120) months, starting employment at a 17 (10-38) yrs of age. Most subjects (83%) had respiratory symptoms, especially dyspnoea (52%) but also chest pain (46%). Radiological evidence of silicosis (ILO score 1/0 or higher) was present in 77 (53%) out of 145 subjects with interpretable chest radiographs. These subjects had lower forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity. The risk of silicosis correlated with seniority (i.e. working as a foreman), exposure duration and number of places of work.Considering the high prevalence rate of silicosis in such workplaces, further problems are inevitable in the future unless effective measures are taken.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of chronic rhinosinusitis/nasal polyposis on the severity of COPD and to find out whether the 'united airway disease' hypothesis is valid for COPD. The study enrolled 90 patients diagnosed and staged according to criteria of an international guideline for diagnosis and management of COPD. The patients in stages I and II were classified as Group 1 and the patients in stages III and IV as Group 2. All the patients were questioned about the presence of major and minor criteria of sinusitis, underwent paranasal sinus computed tomography (PNS-CT) scans, and answered a questionnaire based on a quality of life test for sinusitis (SNOT-20). Sinusitis was present in 48 (53%) patients according to criteria of major and minor symptoms, and in 58 (64%) patients according to Lund-Mackay scoring system of PNS-CT. There was no significant difference in CT score between Group 1 and Group 2 (2.3 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.4, p > 0.05). However, the frequency of minor symptoms was greater in Group 2. SNOT-20 score was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (28.7 +/- 1.7 and 22.2 +/- 1.9, respectively, p = 0.014). A significant correlation was determined between Lund-Mackay and SNOT-20 scores. The presence of CRS should be assessed in COPD patients, especially in those with severe disease. Further research is needed to disclose possible common immunopathological mechanisms in the pathogeneses of COPD and CRS.
Fiberoptic and rigid bronchoscopy are widely used diagnostic and therapeutic tools in pulmonary medicine. Investigators often neglect the bronchial variations; however, bronchial variations may have important implications for bronchoscopy, brachytherapy, pulmonary resections and intubations. It is accepted that anatomic variations of the airways are due to anomalies in the development of the lungs. As a result, lung buds grow to an inappropriate number or arise at atypical sites. In the present study, we tried to determine the incidence of bronchial variations in our region. We investigated 2550 consecutive reports of bronchoscopy retrospectively. Major variations of the tracheobronchial tree were found in 2.6% of patients examined by bronchoscopy. The most frequent finding was a bifurcate pattern in the right upper lobe (47.7%). The variations were localized to the right upper lobe in 71.6% of patients. Male predominance was observed in all anatomic variations except one.
Objectives: To explore the rate of pneumoconiosis in dental technicians (DTP) and to evaluate the risk factors. Material and Methods: Data of 893 dental technicians, who were admitted to our hospital in the period January 2007-May 2012, from 170 dental laboratories were retrospectively examined. Demographic data, respiratory symptoms, smoking status, work duration, working fields, exposure to sandblasting, physical examination findings, chest radiographs, pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography results were evaluated. Results: Dental technicians' pneumoconiosis rate was 10.1% among 893 cases. The disease was more common among males and in those exposed to sandblasting who had 77-fold higher risk of DTP. The highest profusion subcategory was 3/+ (according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) 2011 standards) and the large opacity rate was 13.3%. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, it was the largest DTP case series (N = 893/90) in the literature in English. Health screenings should be performed regularly for the early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, which is an important occupational disease for dental technicians.
BACKGROUND:Plasma D-dimer levels are directly related to the intra- and extra-vascular coagulation that occurs in acute and chronic lung damage in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).OBJECTIVES:This study examines the relationship between the severity of community-acquired pneumonia and D-dimer levels. In addition, the study examines the correlations among community-acquired pneumonia, the radiological extent of the disease and mortality.METHODS:The Pneumonia Severity Index was used to classify patients into five groups. Patients were treated at home or in the hospital according to the guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia. Blood samples were taken from the antecubital vein with an injector and placed into citrated tubes. After they were centrifuged, the samples were evaluated with the quantitative latex method.RESULTS:The study included 60 patients who had been diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (mean age 62.5 ± 11.7) and 24 healthy controls (mean age 59.63 ± 6.63). The average plasma D-dimer levels were 337.3 ± 195.1ng/mL in the outpatient treatment group, 691.0 ± 180.5 in the inpatient treatment group, 1363.2 ± 331.5 ng/mLin the intensive care treatment group and 161.3 ± 38.1ng/mL in the control group (p<0.001). The mean D-dimer plasma level was 776.1 ± 473.5ng/mL in patients with an accompanying disease and 494.2 ± 280.1 ng/mL in patients without an accompanying disease (p<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:Plasma D-dimer levels were increased even in community-acquired pneumonia patients who did not have an accompanying disease that would normally cause such an increase.
OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to examine the separate and combined effects of tobacco and biomass smoke exposure on pulmonary histopathology in rats.INTRODUCTION:In addition to smoking, indoor pollution in developing countries contributes to the development of respiratory diseases.METHODS:Twenty-eight adult rats were divided into four groups as follows: control group (Group I, no exposure to tobacco or biomass smoke), exposed to tobacco smoke (Group II), exposed to biomass smoke (Group III), and combined exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke (Group IV). After six months the rats in all four groups were sacrificed. Lung tissue samples were examined under light microscopy. The severity of pathological changes was scored.RESULTS:Group II differed from Group I in all histopathological alterations except intraparenchymal vascular thrombosis. There was no statistically significant difference in histopathological changes between the subjects exposed exclusively to tobacco smoke (Group II) and those with combined exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke (Group IV). The histopathological changes observed in Group IV were found to be more severe than those in subjects exposed exclusively to biomass smoke (Group III).DISCUSSION:Chronic exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke caused an increase in severity and types of lung injury.CONCLUSION:Exposure to cigarette smoke caused serious damage to the respiratory system, particularly with concomitant exposure to biomass smoke.
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