摘要:

AbstractEighty‐seven workers exposed to asbestos in a railroad car repair shop, with characteristic asbestos‐induced pleural plaques, underwent extensive lung‐function examination. Vital capacity (VC) showed the greatest reduction among the static lung volumes, with an asymmetrical distribution of one‐fourth of the subjects below 80% of the predicted value. Logistic regression demonstrated VC to be sufficient for optimal discrimination of asbestos‐exposed subjects from a group of matched controls. No further discriminationry power was gained by additional spirometric measures, lung mechanics, blood gas analysis, or diffusing capacity. Smoking had an influence on dynamic but not on static lung volumes. In conclusion, reduced static lung volumes among smoking asbestos‐exposed workers with pleural plaques should, in the absence of other lung diseases, be mainly attributed to the asbest

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140602

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractIncreased volume of trapped gas (VTG) was found in 87 asbestos‐exposed railroad repair shop workers, divided into three subgroups according to smoking habits. All the examined subjects had pleural plaques. Determination of VTG was used to study function of small airways. Increased VTG was found among asbestos‐exposed smokers as well as nonsmokers. In both groups the VTG:TLC ratio was elevated compared with controls. Increased VTG is a sign of small airways dysfunction. In asbestos‐exposed subjects, it might be caused by an early peribronchial reaction to inhaled asbestos f

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140603

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThe present study examines the association between asbestos‐related pleural plaques and lung function in a group of workers with occupational exposure to asbestos. Exposure, smoking, and respiratory histories, chest radiographs, flow‐volume loops, and single breath DLCOs were obtained on 383 railroad workers. A score based on the ILO‐1980 classification system was used to quantify the extent of plaquelike thickening. In order to eliminate potential confounders, we excluded from final analysis subjects with diffuse pleural thickening (n = 10) or small irregular opacities classified as profusion 0/1 or greater (n = 6) on chest radiograph. Definite pleural plaques were observed in 22.6%. The single breath DLCO was similar in the groups with and without plaques (p = 0.0550). Decrement in FVC and the occurrence of pulmonary restriction were associated with the presence of definite plaques (p = 0.0306 and 0.0431, respectively) and with quantitative pleural score (p = 0.0135 and 0.0126), controlling for duration of asbestos exposure and smoking. A test for trend revealed an association between level of diagnostic certainty (none, suspect, definite) for pleural plaques and these measures of lung function (p<0.02). Our findings reveal an association between asbestos‐related pleural plaques and decrement in lung function as measured by FVC and criteria for pulmonary rest

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140604

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractDeck officers on coastal tankers may be exposed to high concentrations of cargo vapors during loading and tank‐cleaning operations. Two cases of acute nonlymphatic leukemia are described. Both men had worked as chief officers on coastal tankers transporting benzene and other petroleum product

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140605

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractTo evaluate the etiologic role of asbestos exposure in B cell neoplasms, we compared the estimated level of occupational exposure to asbestos of cases with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL; N = 429) and multiple myeloma (MM; N = 698) with that of controls (N = 1,683). Cases were identified through four population‐based cancer registries in the U.S. and controls were randomly selected from the same geographic areas. Exposure to asbestos was assessed by classifying each job held by a subject into one of four categories, based on the estimated intensity of exposure to asbestos.Evidence was found for a modest increasing risk of CLL with increasing asbestos exposure. Relative to persons with no known occupational exposure to asbestos, the risk for CLL was 1.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.8–1.6) for low, 1.2 (CI = 0.8–1.8) for medium, and 1.4 (CI = 0.8–2.3) for high peak asbestos exposure (p value for trend = 0.13). The association was strongest in white study subjects and in those individuals exposed 10 to 19 years prior to the interview. No association was observed between MM and occupational exposure to asbestos in the entire study population or within specific subgroups.Given the pattern of immunologic abnormalities that occur with increased frequency in asbestos‐exposed persons, our observation of an association between occupational asbestos exposure and CLL deserves attention in subsequen

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140606

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis paper presents results from a case‐control study carried out in the county of Mataro, Spain. The study was designed to investigate the possible causes of an unusually high mortality rate from bladder cancer in Mataro county as compared to Spain as a whole, and this report focuses on occupational exposures. The study is based on 57 cases who were hospitalized for or died from bladder cancer between 1978 and 1981. Two controls per case were matched for sex, age, residence, and date of either hospitalization or death. Information was collected on smoking, coffee drinking, and occupation. Occupational histories were then evaluated and coded blind by a group of occupational health physicians. Analyses were carried out by means of conditional logistic regression. Among a group of common occupational sectors, an increased risk for past employment in the textile industry (OR = 2.2; p = .038) was found. Further analyses indicated that the risk is particularly elevated (OR = 4.41; 95% confidence limits: 1.15–16.84) for subjects who worked in dyeing or printing and who were most probably exposed to azo‐dyes. Exposure in the textile industry may be responsible for 16% of the bladder cancers in the Mataro area. A list of dyes commonly used in the Mataro textile industries was compiled and cross‐checked with lists of substances tested or evaluated for carcino

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140607

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThe findings of acute and/or chronic central and peripheral neurotoxic effects of organic solvents in workers from a previous controlled cross‐sectional study (65 exposed and 33 unexposed) were re‐assessed to ascertain whether the neurotoxic symptoms and signs had become chronic. These follow‐ups were performed 5.5 years later by occupational medical and clinical neurological examination (59 exposed and 30 unexposed) and again 10.6 years later by a mailed questionnaire (53 exposed and 30 unexposed).Both follow‐ups revealed more acute neurotoxic symptoms in the exposed workers than in the unexposed workers, but fewer than previously, and indeed, the current exposure to solvents had been reduced. However, at both follow‐ups, the exposed workers showed significantly more symptoms of chronic encephalopathy, in particular, memory and concentration impairment. These latter symptoms had also significantly worsened in the workers who were still being exposed, while they were presently unchanged in the previously exposed workers who had been free of exposure for 6.6 years at the latter follow‐up. On the other hand, symptoms of chronic encephalopathy had not appeared in the unexposed group.Among workers, both still and previously exposed, there were also social consequences in the form of occupational disqualification.According to the findings, long‐term occupational exposure to organic solvents in concentrations that are not unusual at workplaces may lead to development of chronic neurot

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140608

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis paper describes the validity and reliability of a method to retrospectively assess exposure to antisapstain agents used in sawmills (chlorophenates). The method is based on experienced workers' estimates of exposure for each job title at the sawmill where they work. At a pilot mill, 10 randomly selected workers estimated the frequency and duration of exposures to chlorophenates for all 59 job titles. The reliability of their mean exposure estimates was very high, with an intraclass correlation coefficient for all raters of 0.91 (based on a calculated index of exposure). To assess validity, urinary chloro‐phenate levels were measured for 86% of the workers at the mill during the summer and/or fall, and compared to experienced workers' estimates of exposure. The correlation between workers' exposure estimates and the urinary chlorophenate levels for each job title were consistently above 0.65 for all analyses and greater than 0.72 when summer and fall urine sample results were averaged. The evidence indicates that the validity and reliability of worker exposure estimates are high enough to justify investigation of the method's generalizability to other sawmill

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140609

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractIn order to identify California agricultural workers at high risk for occupational skin disease, we evaluated the distribution of 2,722 claims for lost‐work‐time skin conditions reported between 1978 and 1983 by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and source of illness. In the overall work force, cases were most frequently attributed to plants (52.1%), chemical exposures (20.4%), and food products (12.5%), but considerable variation occurred in the distribution of cases among the subdivisions of agriculture. The forestry subdivisions (SICs 081, 082, 084, and 085) had the highest rate (given as cases/10,000 employed) of claims for skin disease attributed to plants (53.5), but no cases due to other exposures. For chemical exposures, the highest rate of claims occurred in the horticultural specialties (SIC 018) subdivison (5.1), but this group also had a significant claims rate for plant‐related skin disease (15.9). The highest claims rate for cases attributed to food products occurred in the vegetables/melons subdivision (4.7), but this group had claims rates for exposure to plants (3.8) and chemicals (2.8) that were nearly as high. Efforts to evaluate and prevent skin disease in agricultural workers should recognize the complex range of exposures to which this work force is su

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140610

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0271-3586    

DOI:10.1002/ajim.4700140611

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1988

数据来源: WILEY