Respiratory symptoms and illnesses among brick kiln workers: a cross sectional study from rural districts of Pakistan

Background: Fired clay bricks, an important construction material, are manufactured in non-mechanized, labour intensive brick kilns which mostly employ unskilled men and women. The workers, as an occupational hazard, are exposed to dust and air pollution leading to respiratory diseases.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among brick kiln workers in RS Pura block of Jammu district. The workers were assessed regarding respiratory symptoms and illnesses using translated version of American Thoracic Society Division of Lung Disease questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78A).Results: 692 brick kiln workers were interviewed during the course of survey and 58.8%of them were males. 45% of the respondents were working since last less than three years. Among the respiratory symptoms chronic cough, was present in 23.55% and phlegm in 22.83% of the respondents. Chronic bronchitis was present in 20.52% of the respondents. Association of respiratory symptoms in relation to sex of the respondents was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms and illness were found to be quite prevalent in the brick kiln workers. More research needs to be conducted to assess other health risks besides respiratory morbidity. Health planners need to plan for their basic sanitation facilities and periodic check ups.

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Prevalence of COVID-19-like Symptoms among People Living with HIV, and Using Antiretroviral Therapy for Prevention and Treatment

Current HIV Research ◽

10.2174/1570162x18666200712175535 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 373-380 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi ◽

Maryam Ghadimi ◽

Mahboubeh Hajiabdolbaghi ◽

Mehrnaz Rasoolinejad ◽

Ladan Abbasian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Antiretroviral Treatment ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Shortness Of Breath ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Limited Data ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Living With Hiv

Background: COVID-19 has spread globally with remarkable speed, and currently, there is limited data available exploring any aspect of the intersection between HIV and SARSCoV- 2 co-infection. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of clinical symptoms associated with COVID-19 among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Tehran, Iran. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 200 PLWH were recruited through the positive club via sampling, and completed the symptom-based questionnaire for COVID-19, which was delivered by trained peers. Results: Of 200 participants, respiratory symptoms, including cough, sputum, and shortness of breath, were the most prevalent among participants, but only one person developed symptoms collectively suggested COVID-19 and sought treatments. Conclusions: It appears that existing infection with HIV or receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) might reduce the susceptibility to the infection with SARS-CoV-2 or decrease the severity of the infection acquired. Further research is needed to understand causal mechanisms.

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Effect of smoking on lung function, respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases amongst HIV-positive subjects: a cross-sectional study

AIDS Research and Therapy ◽

10.1186/1742-6405-7-6 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Qu Cui ◽

Sue Carruthers ◽

Andrew McIvor ◽

Fiona Smaill ◽

Lehana Thabane ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

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Health consequences of thick forest fire smoke to healthy residents in Riau, Indonesia: a cross-sectional study

Medical Journal of Indonesia ◽

10.13181/mji.oa.204321 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 58-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jamal Zaini ◽

Agus Dwi Susanto ◽

Erlang Samoedro ◽

Vonni Christiana Bionika ◽

Budhi Antariksa

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Forest Fire ◽

Respiratory Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fire Disaster ◽

Fire Smoke ◽

Forest Fire Disaster

BACKGROUND Indonesia forest fire in 2015 emitted a huge amount of pollutants into the air. This study was aimed to assess the health consequences of forest fire smoke in healthy residents in Riau during forest fire disaster in 2015. METHODS This cross-sectional study was performed in healthy residents who lived in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Sumatera, for at least 6 months during forest fire disaster in 2015, and data were taken in October 2015. Questionnaires consisting of respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms were collected. Lung function was assessed by spirometry (MIR II Spirolab™ spirometer, Medical International Research, Italy) and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) was assessed using piCO+ Smokerlyzer®. Heart rate at rest and oxygen saturation in the room air were measured using Onyx 9591 Pulse Oximeter®. RESULTS A total of 89 subjects were mostly female (75.3%), housewife (37.7%), nonsmoker (86.5%) with mean age of 38.9 years old. The non-respiratory and respiratory symptoms were reported in 84.7% and 71.4% subjects, respectively. Lung function was impaired in 72.6% subjects, mostly with mild obstruction and mild restriction. Exhaled CO was highly detected over normal values (mean [standard deviation] = 32.6 [9.97] ppm) with predicted carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) of 5.74 (1.56). CONCLUSIONS Forest fire smoke exposure increased the respiratory and nonrespiratory symptoms among healthy individuals, which showed impairment in lung function, exhaled CO, and predicted COHb. Long term health effects on healthy individuals exposed to forest fire smoke warrant further evaluation.

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