scholarly journals Evaluation of Work-Related Symptoms by Job Exposure Matrix in Chronic Pulmonary Diseases - A Cross-sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 696-700
Author(s):  
Lahya Afshari Saleh ◽  
Atefeh Matoori ◽  
Reza Basiri ◽  
Habibollah Esmaily ◽  
Farzaneh Rahimpour ◽  
...  

Background: Despite the high prevalence of occupational airway disorders, they are usually underestimated by physicians. This study designed to study the prevalence of work-related symptoms (WRS) and their association with occupational exposure in outpatient pulmonary clinics. Methods: Adults with more than one year of lower respiratory symptoms were included. Retired patients, housewives and those unable to perform spirometry were excluded. Demographic, anthropometric and medical data were documented. The Persian version of National institute for health and safety respiratory questionnaire was used to classify job titles. WRS were defined as 2 (or more) positive questions with improvement of symptoms on days off work. Job exposure matrix (JEM) was used for classifying the type of occupational exposure into one of three categories: high molecular weight (HKW), low molecular weight (LMW) and mixed. Results: A total of 250 patients (69% male) with mean (±SD) age of 40 (±11.6) years, 178 cases of asthma and 59 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cases entered. Occupational exposure was seen in 51.2% of patients (26, 51 and 51 cases with HMW, LMW and mixed, respectively). WRS were lower in those who exercised regularly (24.6% vs. 39.4%) and higher in those with eczema (62.5% vs. 33.6%). Eczema had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.13 (95% CI 1.3 to 12.9, P = 0.01). Exposure to LMW almost tripled the risk of WRS (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.4 to 5.9, P = 0.003) in our patients. Conclusion: Pulmonologists are firmly advised to take their patients’ occupational and vocational exposures into consideration for treatment plans, especially in those with positive history of eczema and exposure to LMW.

Author(s):  
Subhabrata Moitra ◽  
Ali Farshchi Tabrizi ◽  
Kawtar Idrissi Machichi ◽  
Samineh Kamravaei ◽  
Noushin Miandashti ◽  
...  

Many insulating materials are used in construction, although few have been reported to cause non-malignant respiratory illnesses. We aimed to investigate associations between exposures to insulating materials and non-malignant respiratory illnesses in insulators. In this cross-sectional study, 990 insulators (45 ± 14 years) were screened from 2011–2017 in Alberta. All participants underwent pulmonary function tests and chest radiography. Demographics, work history, and history of chest infections were obtained through questionnaires. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was diagnosed according to established guidelines. Associations between exposures and respiratory illnesses were assessed by modified Poisson regression. Of those screened, 875 (88%) were males. 457 (46%) participants reported having ≥ 1 chest infection in the past 3 years, while 156 (16%) were diagnosed with COPD. In multivariate models, all materials (asbestos, calcium silicate, carbon fibers, fiberglass, and refractory ceramic fibers) except aerogels and mineral fibers were associated with recurrent chest infections (prevalence ratio [PR] range: 1.18–1.42). Only asbestos was associated with COPD (PR: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 2.05). Therefore, occupational exposure to insulating materials was associated with non-malignant respiratory illnesses, specifically, recurrent chest infections and COPD. Longitudinal studies are urgently needed to assess the risk of exposure to these newly implemented insulation materials.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saso Stoleski ◽  
Jordan Minov ◽  
Jovanka Karadzinska-Bislimovska ◽  
Dragan Mijakoski

Introduction : Work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a considerable part of the disease burden globally. Objective : To assess the COPD prevalence and characteristics in never-smoking dairy farmers. Materials and Methodology : We have conducted a cross-sectional study with 75 male dairy farmers aged 26 to 59 years, and compared them with equivalent number of male office workers similar by age, and duration of employment. Data on chronic respiratory symptoms, job history and daily activities were obtained by questionnaire. Lung functional testing of the examined subjects included baseline spirometry, and bronchodilator reversibility measurement. Results : Dairy farmers showed higher prevalence of overall respiratory symptoms, but significant difference was noticed for cough, phlegm, and dyspnea. Dairy farmers had more prevalent work-related respiratory symptoms, being significant for overall symptoms, cough, and phlegm. The mean baseline values of spirometric parameters were lower in dairy farmers, but significance was reported for FEV1/FVC%, MEF50, MEF75, and MEF25-75. Dairy farmers had significantly higher COPD prevalence than office controls (10.7% vs 2.7%, P = 0,049). Dairy farmers and office controls showed significant association between COPD and age over 45 years. Dairy farmers had a significant association between COPD and employment duration of over 20 years (P = 0.023), but also between COPD and work-related chronic respiratory symptoms (P = 0.041). Conclusion : The study findings favor the cause-effect association between job exposure to respiratory hazards, and development of persistent airway obstruction among dairy farmers.


Author(s):  
Melvin K Mathews ◽  
Abubaker Siddiq ◽  
Bharathi D R

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is preventable and treatable disease state characterized by air flow limitation that is not fully reversible. Severity of the symptoms is increased during exacerbations. Objectives: The purpose of the study is to assess and improve the knowledge regarding COPD among study subjects. Materials and Methods: A Cross-sectional interventional study was carried out among the peoples in selected areas of the Chitradurga city for a period of six months. Result: A total 207 subjects enrolled in the study in that 155 male and 52 females. In our study mean score of post test was more (5.87±1.68) when compare to pre-test (2.63±1.46) which show significant increase in their knowledge after educating them (p=0.000). A total of 207 subjects were enrolled into the study. SPSS Software was used to calculate the statistical estimation. Paired t-test was used to detect the association status of different variables. Conclusion: The relatively good level of COPD awareness needs to be maintained to facilitate future prevention and control of the disease. This study had identified that negative illness perceptions should be targeted, so that they will not avoid patients from seeking for COPD treatment and adhere to it. Key words: Cross sectional study, Knowledge, practice, COPD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 00299-2019
Author(s):  
David C. Currow ◽  
Miriam J. Johnson ◽  
Allan Pollack ◽  
Diana H. Ferreira ◽  
Slavica Kochovska ◽  
...  

Chronic breathlessness is a disabling syndrome, prevalent in people with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Regular, low-dose, oral sustained-release morphine is approved in Australia to reduce symptomatic chronic breathlessness. We aimed to determine the current prescribing patterns of opioids for chronic breathlessness in COPD in Australian general practice and to define any associated patient and practitioner characteristics.Five years (2011 to 2016) of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health database, an Australian national, continual, cross-sectional study of clinical care in general practice were used. The database included 100 consecutive clinical encounters from almost 1000 general practitioners annually (n=488 100 encounters). Descriptive analyses with subsequent regression models were generated.Breathlessness as a patient-defined reason for encounter was identified in 621 of 4522 encounters where COPD was managed. Opioids were prescribed in 309 of 4522 encounters where COPD was managed (6.8%; (95% CI) 6.1–7.6), of which only 17 were prescribed for breathlessness, and the rest for other conditions almost entirely related to pain. Patient age (45–64 years versus age 80+ years, OR 1.68; 1.19–2.36), Commonwealth Concession Card holders (OR 1.70; 1.23–2.34) and socioeconomic disadvantage (OR 1.30; 1.01–1.68) were associated with increased likelihood of opioid prescription at COPD encounters. The rate of opioid prescriptions rose over the 5 years of study.In primary care encounters for COPD, opioids were prescribed in 6.8% of cases, but almost never for breathlessness. These data create a baseline against which to compare changes in prescribing as the treatment of chronic breathlessness evolves.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-233
Author(s):  
Jhonatan Betancourt-Peña ◽  
Juan Carlos Ávila-Valencia ◽  
Jorge Karim Assis ◽  
David Alejandro Escobar-Vidal

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. An upward trend is estimated by 2030. One of the causes of mortality is the exacerbations of symptoms that result in hospitalizations. These hospitalizations reduce the quality of life, limit performance in daily life, and increase the costs for the health system and the patient. Objective: This study aimed to determine the differences between hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with a medical diagnosis of COPD, considering some sociodemographic and clinical variables, and survival rates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included patients diagnosed with COPD who initiated pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) from January to September 2018. The patients were divided into two groups: patients with one or more exacerbations that led to the hospitalization (COPD-H) and patients without hospitalizations in the last year (COPD-NH). Results: There were 128 participants (78 males and 50 females), with a mean age of 71.10±(9.34) in the COPD-H group and 71.30±(8.91) in the COPD-NH group. When comparing both groups, COPD-NH had a higher socioeconomic status (p=0.041), reporting a higher FEV1 44.71± (14.97), p=0.047, and comorbidities according to the COTE index (p<0.001). Conclusion: The patients with the highest number of hospitalizations belonged to a lower socioeconomic stratum and had a higher number of comorbidities. Therefore, it is necessary to identify these factors at the beginning of PR.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2989-2994
Author(s):  
U. Sivakumar ◽  
Rinku Garg ◽  
Sunita Nighute

Objective: COPD has been recognized not only as a lung but also a systemic disease. Smoking is a major cause of COPD, cardiovascular disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Physiology, Santosh Medical College diagnosed with COPD using Spirometry was recruited for the study with a sample size of 130 patients. Results: Of the 130 participants, the mean age was 51.73 years of all COPD patients. Thirty-seven (28.46%) were diagnosed to have PAD. Twenty-five patients (19.23%) were overweight, 10 (7.69%) were obese. All the patients included in the study had history of smoking, including current (n= 67, 51.5%) and former (n= 35, 26.9%) smokers. There was no patient with severe respiratory failure in our study. The most common cardiovascular co-morbidity was hypertension (n= 67, 51.5%), followed by diabetes mellitus (n =28, 21.5%), and dyslipidaemia (n= 35, 26.92%). PAD seen in different stages of COPD stage I –IV were 2.94%, 55.88%, 61.76%, 20.58% respectively. Conclusion: The diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in COPD is important because this is an entity that limits the patient’s physical activity and impairs their quality of life. Lung function was not associated with PAD in patients with COPD. Abnormal ABI results were associated with a higher prevalence of risk factors and more severe lung disease. Keywords: Peripheral Arterial Disease, Smoking, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document