Determination of Respiratory Disability in Taiwanese Coal Miners
Resource
胸腔醫學 v.17 n.3 pp.218-225
Journal
胸腔醫學,v.17
Journal Issue
n.3
Pages
218-225
Date Issued
2002
Date
2002
Author(s)
YEOH, CHUAN-ING
KUO, CHIEN-HSING
YANG, SHIEH-CHING
Abstract
Coal workers' pneumoconiosis(CWP) is a common occupational lung disease which may be associated with demonstrable pulmonary impairment and can potentially cause disability in miners exposed to coal dust. To promote a better understanding of respiratory disability among Taiwanese coal miners , and to estimate their ventilatory function, con- ventional spirometry and tests for diffusing capacity (DLCO) were conducted on 125 working or retired miners who had been referred to the hospital by the Bureau of Labor Insurance. Our results show that the 43 miners without radiological evidence of pneumo- coniosis had normal ventilatory capacity, and 31 out of the 68 (45.6%) subjects with simple CWP had spirometric indices meeting the extant criteria for disability. Seven additional disabled miners were detected as the result of supplementing DLCO mesure- ment All of the 14 miners with progressive massive fibrosis( PMF) met the spirometric criteria for disa- bility. Among them, 12 (88.4%) had more than 2 indices of ventilatory capacity that would qualify the subjects for disability benefits. We conclude that it may be worthwhile to carry out DLCO measurement, in addition to spirometry, in workers with simple CWP who are claiming disability compensa- tion, while this is unnecessary for miners with PMF. Key words: coal workers' pneumoconiosis, determina- tion of respiratory disability, spirometry, measurement of diffusing capacity
Subjects
煤礦工塵肺症,呼吸障害鑑定,肺量測定,肺瀰散量測定
coal workers' pneumoconiosis
determination of respiratory disability,spirometry
measurement of diffusing capacity