BYSSINOSIS IN CARDROOM WORKERS IN SWEDISH COTTON MILLS

The prevalence of byssinosis and chronic respiratory symptoms was studied in 117 workers in four Swedish cotton mills. Changes of forced expiratory volume in 0·75 sec. (F.E.V._0·75) during a Monday and a Wednesday were assessed in 64 male workers in four cardrooms in these mills. Dust sampling was performed with weighed millipore filters.

Prevalences of byssinosis as judged from the workers' histories were 68%, 55%, 44%, and 25% in the four mills; the lowest prevalence of 25% was found in a mill spinning both high grade cotton yarn and rayon. Among 67 workers in the mills having a byssinosis prevalence of 68% and 55%, 60% were non-smokers, 70% had chronic cough, and 27% had chronic dyspnoea. The F.E.V._0·75 decreased on Monday in workers who gave a history of Monday dyspnoea, and to a lesser degree, but still significantly, in those who did not.

In spite of marked differences in fine dust (i.e., dust smaller than 2 mm. diameter) concentrations in the four cardrooms, no significant relations between dust content, byssinosis prevalence, and F.E.V._0·75 changes on Monday could be demonstrated.

The prevention and treatment of byssinosis is discussed. Workers at risk should receive a periodical medical examination including at least a spirographical pulmonary function test at intervals of one year or less.

     

VENTILATORY CAPACITY CHANGES ON EXPOSURE TO COTTON DUST AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO BYSSINOSIS IN AUSTRALIA

The same plan of investigation as was used in a previous study of jute workers (Gandevia and Milne, 1965) has been applied to a survey of 50 workers in the blowroom and carding and spinning area of a Sydney cotton mill. Significant decreases in ventilatory capacity were recorded on Friday, Monday, and the following Thursday, with, on the average, complete `overnight' recovery, as indicated by similar morning values. Slightly, but not significantly, greater differences were observed in seven subjects with mild byssinotic symptoms and in five subjects with an observed productive cough on request. No effect of sex, shift, or history of cough and sputum was demonstrable. By contrast with the jute workers, no influence of smoking habit was apparent. The larger decreases in ventilatory capacity were observed in those with the higher F.E.V.<sub>1·0</sub>:F.V.C. ratios, whereas the reverse trend was noted in the jute workers. The occurrence of significant large decreases in those employed in the industry for less than a month, in conjunction with other evidence, suggests that a factor of `self-selection' may be operative among cotton employees in this country and may be related to the apparently low prevalence of clinically important byssinosis. Attention is drawn to two different patterns of change of ventilatory capacity over a week in subjects exposed to dusts sometimes associated with symptoms of byssinosis; the relationship of these changes and of chronic bronchitis to the development of clinical byssinosis is discussed.     

BYSSINOSIS AND OTHER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN FLAX WORKERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

A study of byssinosis and other respiratory symptoms in 2,528 flax workers aged 35 years and over in Northern Ireland is reported. This represented 82·5% of the total available population. Only 3% of workers were not seen because of absence or a refusal to co-operate. Workers were interviewed using a questionnaire based on the Questionnaire on Respiratory Symptoms (Medical Research Council, 1960a) with additional questions relating to respiratory symptoms at work.

Byssinosis was found in workers in all stages of the industry, though its prevalence was highest in flax preparers; wet spinners and wet polishers did not appear to be at serious risk of developing the condition. When the effects of other relevant factors had been allowed for, e.g., age, duration of employment, and smoking habits, differences between the prevalence in the two sexes were found to be very small. The associations between byssinosis and the age of workers and their durations of employment in flax-preparing occupations were complex, and it was thought that a selective discharge of affected workers before the study might, in part at least, explain the absence of marked associations between these variables.

Marked associations were found between both chronic bronchitis and exertional dyspnoea and the type of occupation in the mill. Workers in the early preparing occupations had a considerably higher prevalence of these conditions than expected on a null hypothesis. There were also marked associations between byssinosis and bronchitis, and between byssinosis and dyspnoea. The possible importance of these associations with regard to the aetiology of byssinosis is discussed, and it is suggested that byssinosis represents an acute, specific effect of certain textile dusts on the respiratory system, superimposed on a non-specific chronic bronchitic process.

     

棉尘病研究现状

本文回顾了国内外棉尘病研究现状,包括:棉尘对健康的急性和远期影响;我国棉尘病患病率情况;有关棉尘病发病机制的新概念以及对今后研究重点的看法.     

棉絮试验在自发性脑脊液鼻漏诊断中的价值

[目的]探讨自发性脑脊液鼻漏的诊断方法及棉絮试验在其诊断中的价值。[方法]对8例患者通过棉絮试验确定脑脊液鼻漏的部位。[结果]8例患者均找到漏口。[结论]棉絮试验在自发性脑脊液鼻漏的诊断中简单、经济、准确率高。     

棉签蘸取碘伏消毒皮肤的效果观察

[目的]探讨棉签蘸取不同量的碘伏消毒液消毒效果及消毒后碘侠消毒液待干时间的比较,为临床使用提供依据.[方法]用棉签蘸取不同量的碘伏消毒受试者手背,计算待干时间的差异;对不同受试者消毒区采样,进行细菌培养,分析各组间的消毒效果.[结果]蘸取1/2～2/3棉签长度的碘伏消毒液,其待干时间明显少于蘸取＜1/3棉签长度、蘸取1/3～1/2棉签长度和蘸满碘伏消毒液棉签长度的待干时间,在操作节省时间方面有统计学意义(P＜0.05).蘸取消毒液1/3～1/2棉签长度、1/2～2/3棉签长度和蘸满消毒液槔签长度的消毒效果差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).[结论]蘸取1/2～2/3棉签长度的碘伏消毒液从待干时间、杀菌效果方面更适于临床应用.     

从棉签回收看质量持续改进

目的探讨对病房棉签回收的管理,提出防范措施,避免发生医院内感染。方法找出病房棉签回收中存在的问题,并分析原因,确定改进目标,制定改进措施。结果通过不断的学习,提出改进措施,病房未发生乱扔棉签的现象。结论通过持续质量改进有效的提高了医护人员及患者的安全意识,降低了医院感染隐患。     

退休棉工肺部X线表现Logistic回归分析

本文用Logistic回归方法分析了50名工龄20年以上的退休棉工肺部X线表现,并与性别、年龄、吸烟史配对的50名对照工比较。X线胸片按国际尘肺分类法(1980)读片,以间质纤维改变的密集度在1/0及以上者为表现异常。结果两组各有9和11例表现异常。Logistic回归分析结果表明,吸烟能显著地影响胸部X线表现异常的发生概率(P=0.000001),性别、年龄和接尘工龄则依次在运算过程中被剔除。