Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
Abstract
Seventy-four female shift workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry were examined: a group of 38 workers from the press workshop and a group of 36 controls from the mounting workshop from the same factory. The two groups did not differ by age, years of employment, smoking habit or height. Persons with atopic constitution and serious respiratory disease were excluded from the study. Interstitial lung disease was eliminated by X-ray examinations. All subjects underwent a clinical examination and completed a questionnaire. Measurements of ventilatory lung functions demonstrated no difference between the groups; lung function values were normal, (ton-specific airway reactivity was expressed as PC50 Rt i.e. 50% increase in resistance in relation to the value measured after inhalation of the physiological solution. A significant difference was found for PC50 Rt between the exposed and control workers during (P<0.001) and outside working hours (P<0.01). Significantly different PC50 Rt values were also established within the group of exposed workers as well as within thai of control workers dunng and outside working hours (P<0.014 and P<0.0018 respectively). The majority of hyperreactive persons were workers from the press workshop (n-17) when measurements were performed during working hours. For earty detection of respiratory diseases in workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry preemployment examinations and regular check-ups aiming to determine non-specific airway reactivity are suggested as necessary.Ispitano je 74 radnica zaposlenih u tvornici oksidne keramike (34 radnice zaposlene u prešaonici i 36 kontrolnih radnica iz montažne hale). Skupine se nisu razlikovale po dobi, trajanju radnog staža, visini i indeksu pušenja. Niti jedna od radnica nije imala znakove atopičke konstitucije, a na rendgenskoj snimci pluća nisu uočene promjene plućnog intersticija. Obje skupine ispitanica podvrgnute su kliničkom pregledu i ispitane su na osnovi standardiziranog upitnika. Izmjerene su i ventilacijske funkcije pluća na uređaju Pneumoscreen I, Jaeger, Njemačka. U obje skupine vrijednosti FVC, FEV1, MEF25, MEF50, i MEF75 bile su u granicama normalnih. Ispitivanje nespecifične reaktivnosti dišnih putova provedeno je histamin difosfatom na uređaju Astograph, Chest Corporation, SAD. Za izraz nespecifične reaktivnosti korišten je PC50 Rt tj. porast rezistencije za 50% u odnosu na izmjerenu vrijednost nakon udisanja fiziološke otopine. Nađena je statistički značajna razlika za PC50 Rt s obzirom na kumulativnu dozu provokativnog agensa među radnicama prešaonice i montaže izmjeren tijekom ali i izvan radnog vremena (P<0,001;P<0.01). Nađena je statistički značajna razlika za PC50 Rt radnica u prešaonici za vrijeme i izvan radnog vremena (P<0,014) ali i radnica u montaži (P<0,0018). U skupini radnica prešaonice tijekom radnog vremena utvrđeno je 17 osoba s PC50 Rt dobivenim s manje od 8 mg/ml histamin disfosfata. U radu se naglašava potreba za sustavnim praćenjem nespecifične reaktivnosti dišnih putova u keramičkoj industriji
