Hazards for Construction Workers

Author(s):  
Gavin H. West ◽  
Laura S. Welch

This chapter describes the hazards for construction workers, with a particular focus on injuries as well as exposures to hazardous chemicals and dusts. A section describes hazardous exposures to lead and other heavy metals. Another section describes noise exposure. The impact of musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers is then discussed. A section on respiratory diseases focuses on asbestosis, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. Exposures known to cause dermatitis and cancer are reviewed. There is a discussion of engineered nanomaterials as a potential emerging hazard. Various approaches to prevention and control, including regulations and health services, are described.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175346662096303
Author(s):  
Hayoung Choi ◽  
Hyun Lee ◽  
Jiin Ryu ◽  
Sung Jun Chung ◽  
Dong Won Park ◽  
...  

Background: Long-term corticosteroid (CS) use is associated with increased mortality in patients with asthma, and comorbid bronchiectasis is also associated with frequent asthma exacerbation and increased healthcare use. However, there is limited information on whether bronchiectasis further increases mortality in patients with CS-dependent asthma. This study examined the impact of bronchiectasis on mortality in patients with CS-dependent asthma. Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients with CS-dependent asthma ⩾18 years old was established using records from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database from 2005 to 2015. Patients with CS-dependent asthma with and without bronchiectasis were matched by age, sex, type of insurance, and Charlson comorbidity index. We evaluated the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in patients with bronchiectasis compared with those without bronchiectasis. Results: The study cohort included 754 patients with CS-dependent asthma with bronchiectasis and 3016 patients with CS-dependent asthma without bronchiectasis. Patients with CS-dependent asthma with bronchiectasis had a higher all-cause mortality than those without bronchiectasis (8429/100,000 versus 6962/100,000 person-years, p < 0.001). The adjusted HR for mortality in patients with CS-dependent asthma with bronchiectasis relative to those without bronchiectasis was 1.33 (95% confidence interval, 1.18–1.50), and the association was primarily significant for respiratory diseases (subdistribution HR = 1.65, 95% confidence interval, 1.42–1.92). Conclusions: Bronchiectasis further increases all-cause mortality in patients with CS-dependent asthma, a trend that was especially associated with respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Strategies to improve treatment outcomes in patients with CS-dependent asthma with bronchiectasis are urgently needed to improve long-term survival. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.


Author(s):  
Yun-Gi Lee ◽  
Pureun-Haneul Lee ◽  
Seon-Muk Choi ◽  
Min-Hyeok An ◽  
An-Soo Jang

Air pollutants include toxic particles and gases emitted in large quantities from many different combustible materials. They also include particulate matter (PM) and ozone, and biological contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which can penetrate the human airway and reach the bloodstream, triggering airway inflammation, dysfunction, and fibrosis. Pollutants that accumulate in the lungs exacerbate symptoms of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma, a heterogeneous disease with complex pathological mechanisms, is characterized by particular symptoms such as shortness of breath, a tight chest, coughing, and wheezing. Patients with COPD often experience exacerbations and worsening of symptoms, which may result in hospitalization and disease progression. PM varies in terms of composition, and can include solid and liquid particles of various sizes. PM concentrations are higher in urban areas. Ozone is one of the most toxic photochemical air pollutants. In general, air pollution decreases quality of life and life expectancy. It exacerbates acute and chronic respiratory symptoms in patients with chronic airway diseases, and increases the morbidity and risk of hospitalization associated with respiratory diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Therefore, we reviewed the impact of air pollutants on airway diseases such as asthma and COPD, focusing on their underlying mechanisms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Te-Wei Ho ◽  
Yi-Ju Tsai ◽  
Chun-Ta Huang ◽  
Angela Shin-Yu Lien ◽  
Feipei Lai

AbstractComorbidities adversely affect the quality of life and survival of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and timely identification and management of comorbidities are important in caring for COPD patients. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COPD on long-term developmental trajectories of its comorbidities. From 2010 to 2013, all spirometry-confirmed COPD patients with a 5-year follow-up period were identified as the cases. The prevalence of comorbidities and their trajectories in COPD cases were obtained and compared with those in non-COPD controls matched for age, sex, smoking status and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Over the study period, a total of 682 patients, 341 each in COPD and control groups were included, with a mean age of 69.1 years and 89% male. The baseline mean CCI was 1.9 for both groups of patients and significantly increased to 3.4 and 2.7 in COPD and control groups after 5 years, respectively (both P < 0.001). Through the 5-year follow-up, a significant increase in the prevalence of all comorbidities of interest was observed in the COPD cohort and the incidence was remarkably higher for hypertension [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.495; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.017–2.198], malignancy (IRR 2.397; 95% CI 1.408–4.081), diabetes mellitus (IRR 2.927; 95% CI 1.612–5.318), heart failure (IRR 2.531; 95% CI 1.502–4.265) and peptic ulcer disease (IRR 2.073; 95% CI 1.176–3.654) as compared to the non-COPD matched controls. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the presence of COPD may be considered a pathogenic factor involved in the development of certain comorbidities.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daha Garba Muhammad ◽  
Jamila Suleiman Musa

PurposeThis study aimed to explain the impact of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on physiotherapy services in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThis is a commentary piece.FindingsThe pandemic has potential of reducing efficacy of physiotherapy services. It also showed that the mental health of local physiotherapists was badly affected. On the other hand, the pandemic allowed physiotherapists to support infectious disease prevention and control and as well as providing awareness of the role of physiotherapy in the management of respiratory diseases.Originality/valueIt shows the effect of COVID-19 on physiotherapy care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (12) ◽  
pp. 1160-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena A. Beygel ◽  
E. V. Katamanova ◽  
S. F. Shayakhmetov ◽  
O. V. Ushakova ◽  
N. A. Pavlenko ◽  
...  

It was found that the appearance of respiratory diseases among workers was established to be associated with the impact of aerosols with the complex chemical composition, exceeding corresponding MAC. Among respiratory diseases in workers there were detected predominantly chronic non-obstructive bronchitis - 59.15%, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - in 35.2% of cases. In the analysis of spirometric indices of examined patients the vast majority (76.3%) of them showed disturbances of the bronchial patency of mild to moderate degree of the pronouncement. As a result of the implementation offlexible bronchoscopy there was established the presence of a diffuse lesion of bronchi with a predominance of subatrophic and atrophic processes in the mucosa. It was found that under the increase of the concentration of HF in the air of industrial premises the probability of bronchial obstruction and deterioration of the tracheobronchial patency in aluminum smelter workers was established to elevate.


Author(s):  
DEEPALI DHARAMDAS CHOUDHARI

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)is 4th leading cause of death and its prevalance is increasing steadily due to lifestyle changes and unhealthy habits. COPD includes Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema, it is 2nd most common lung disorder after Pulmonary TB.According to Ayurveda,clinical features of COPD can be correlated with disorders of Pranvaha Strotasdusti and occurs usually in prolonged conditions of Tamak Shwasa.Etiological factors includes smoking,cold weather,dust,air pollution, chemicals etc which are also mentioned in Tamak Shwasa hetu-"Rajasa Dhoomvatabhyam Shitathanambusevanam Rukshanna Vishamashana".Identification,Treatment, Prevention and Control of COPD are important steps to be taken along with lifestyle modifications which are well explained in treatment principles and formulations mentioned in Tamak Shwasa for Prevention and Management of COPD.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document