Relationship between Chest X-ray Findings and Pulmonary Function Tests in Dust Workers

Abstract

Occupational injuries are decreasing due to the improvement in occupational management in the workplace in recent years. However, pneumoconiosis and its complications remain important occupational diseases. Based on the report 'survey on classification for supervision of pneumoconiosis in Japan' performed in 1994, this study compared age, number of years at the job and pulmonary function tests among work types, and examined the characteristics of cases in which pulmonary function results were worse than expected from the chest X-ray findings. In the comparison among work types, mean age was higher and %VC was lower among workers exposed to silica or asbestos, and FEV1.0% appeared to be lower among silica-exposed workers. Multiple regression analysis showed that silica or asbestos-exposed work environments strongly affected %VC. Some cases showed dissociation between the X-ray findings and pulmonary function tests, which appeared to be caused by certain types of work environments. In this study, all the subjects had findings of pneumoconiosis in their chest X-ray. It is necessary to perform a longitudinal survey on pneumoconiosis-free subjects to clarify the precise association of lung function tests with chest X-ray.

Lung function predicts survival in a cohort of asbestos cement workers

“…Nevertheless small irregular opacities were associated with loss of FVC and FEV1 (Table 8) and all lung function parameters predicted survival (Table 6). Also in other studies (Wang et al 2006;Tonori et al 2005;Alfonso et al 2004;Algranti et al 2001) current smoking and asbestos exposure were associated with signs of respiratory disease on X-ray and reduced lung function, however, in this Austrian cohort during 16 years of follow up no signiWcant increase of mortality from non-malignant respiratory disease such as asbestosis or COPD was detected. This is remarkable for a median exposure of 40 Wbre years and might be due to the more intensive pneumological care which has been given to these workers.…”

Lung Function Profiles among Individuals with Nonmalignant Asbestos-related Disorders

“…Effective screening of ARDs is essential for the better management of ARDs. Asbestos exposure is mostly associated with lung function impairments [3–6] . Lung function has also been proven to be the best predictor of survival of asbestos exposure workers [20] .…”

“…Diseases related to asbestos exposure mostly affect the respiratory system, but in rare cases they affect other locations such as the ovaries and larynx [1] . Reduced lung function among individuals with a history of asbestos exposure is common and has been well recognized [3–6] . Although substantial evidence for impairment of lung function is already described in populations exposed to asbestos, many studies have included cohorts of asbestos-exposed workers, with fewer comparisons between asbestos-exposed individuals without disease and those with asbestos-related disorders (ARDs).…”

The Value of High Resolution Computed Tomography in the Diagnostics of Small Opacities and Complications of Silicosis in Mine Machinery Manufacturing Workers, Compared to Radiography

“…However, individual variable sensitivity to silica exposure and the individual variable responses of the lungs to its presence hinder early detection of pneumoconiosis in the subclinical stage, as well as later prognosis of the disease. The evaluation of X-ray changes and functional respiratory disorders in some cases of initial reticular forms of pneumoconiosis is difficult [5][6][7] . Therefore, new techniques of visualization of the early changes, which could make the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis at subclinical stages easier and prognosis of the progression of the illness (due to observation of the present changes), are necessary 8) .…”