TM, I., M, M., NS, M. (2015). SURVEY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, SPIROMETRY, AND RAST AND THEIR RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AMONG DETERGENT PRODUCTS STAFF. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 39(2), 231-241. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2015.824
Ibraheem TM; Momen M; Mostafa NS. "SURVEY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, SPIROMETRY, AND RAST AND THEIR RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AMONG DETERGENT PRODUCTS STAFF". Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 39, 2, 2015, 231-241. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2015.824
TM, I., M, M., NS, M. (2015). 'SURVEY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, SPIROMETRY, AND RAST AND THEIR RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AMONG DETERGENT PRODUCTS STAFF', Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 39(2), pp. 231-241. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2015.824
TM, I., M, M., NS, M. SURVEY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, SPIROMETRY, AND RAST AND THEIR RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AMONG DETERGENT PRODUCTS STAFF. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 2015; 39(2): 231-241. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2015.824
SURVEY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, SPIROMETRY, AND RAST AND THEIR RELATION TO OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AMONG DETERGENT PRODUCTS STAFF
2Department of Community, Environmental & Occupational Medicine,Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
Introduction: Respiratory disorders are one of the documented hazards affecting workers involved in the industry of washing products. Aim of Work: This study aims to assess the frequency of sensitization to enzymes in detergent industry. It also describes work-related respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function parameters among detergent workers in a detergent plant in Cairo, Egypt. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on all plant workers, where Radioallergosorbent testing (RAST) positive subjects underwent further detailed history taking, clinical examination, x-ray and pulmonary function measurements. Results: Among 1329 workers, 9 % of them were sensitized using RAST. Of those, 56.8% reported chest complaints. The RAST grading of workers revealed that 39.2 % of workers were grade I, 24 % were grade II and 36.8 were grade III. It was found that 75.2% of them were exposed to hazardous materials during work. The majority of them reported exposure to dusts and powders (58.4 %). Pulmonary functions testing revealed that 52% showed restrictive lesions and 2.4 % obstructive lesions. The majority of workers who had obstructive and restrictive lesions were RAST grade III (66.7 % and 52.3 % respectively where P<0.001). By Comparing pulmonary functions of workers with dust exposure, it was evident that the majority of workers who had obstructive and restrictive lesions were exposed to dust within the workplace, 100 % and 83.1 % respectively (P<0.034). The study of pulmonary functions among different RAST grades revealed a statistically significant lowered mean of FVC, FVC percentage and FEV1 among grade III workers than other grades (P<0.001). Conclusion: Dust exposure in detergent producing plant has a negative impact on workers’ respiratory systems.