1/4. Respiratory illness in workers exposed to metalworking fluid contaminated with nontuberculous mycobacteria--ohio, 2001.In January 2001, three machinists at an automobile brake manufacturing facility in ohio (plant A) were hospitalized with respiratory illness characterized by dyspnea, cough, fatigue, weight loss, hypoxia, and pulmonary infiltrates. hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) was diagnosed in all three workers. In March 2001, additional employees began seeking medical attention for respiratory and systemic symptoms. In May 2001, union and management representatives requested assistance from CDC's National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH) in determining the cause of the illnesses and preventing further illness in employees. This report describes two case reports and the preliminary results of the ongoing investigation, which found that exposure to aerosolized nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) might be contributing to the observed respiratory illnesses in this manufacturing facility. Clinicians and public health professionals should be alert to the variable presentation of occupational respiratory disease that might occur in workers in the machining industry.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = metal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/4. Respiratory diseases in hard metal workers: an occupational hygiene study in a factory.A hygiene study of a hard metal factory was conducted from 1981 to 1984. All workers exposed to hard metal were medically examined and their exposure to cobalt measured. Eighteen employees had occupational asthma related to exposure to hard metal, a prevalence rate of 5.6%. Nine had a positive bronchial provocation test to cobalt and reactions of the immediate, late, or dual type were elicited. Exposure measurements suggest that asthma may be caused by cobalt at a mean time weighted average concentration below 0.05 mg/m3. Only two of the nine individuals with cobalt asthma had a positive patch test to cobalt. Chest radiographs of three workers showed diffuse shadows of category 1 or over. X ray microanalysis of lung biopsy specimens from two of these three workers showed the presence of tungsten, titanium, cobalt, nickel, and some minerals. One of the two was diagnosed as having pneumoconiosis due to exposure to silica in a steel industry and the other was suspected of having pulmonary fibrosis caused by dust generated from the carborundum wheels used to grind hard metal. There were no cases with interstitial pneumonitis in the factory.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = metal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/4. cadmium induced metal fume fever: results of inhalation challenge.inhalation challenges were performed on a patient who had developed symptoms of metal fume fever, after six years of welding. vital signs, white blood cell count and differential, nasal smears, chest X-ray, and pulmonary function tests were monitored during each inhalation challenge. There was no significant reaction to methylcholine, or to fumes of zinc, copper, and mild steel. Significant restrictive ventilatory impairment, leucocytosis, fever, and symptoms of metal fume fever were noticed after exposure to fumes of silver solder containing twenty four percent cadmium.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = metal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/4. The spectrum of respiratory disease associated with exposure to metal working fluids.Occupational respiratory diseases have been reported following exposure to metal working fluids. We report a spectrum of respiratory illnesses occurring in an outbreak in 30 workers of an automobile parts engine manufacturing plant. Workers presented with respiratory complaints and, after clinical and laboratory evaluations, were classified as those having hypersensitivity pneumonitis, occupational asthma, or industrial bronchitis, or those without occupational lung disease. hypersensitivity pneumonitis affected seven workers, with six exhibiting serum precipitins to acinetobacter Iwoffii. Occupational asthma and industrial bronchitis affected 12 and six workers, respectively. Oil-mist exposures were below current recommendations. gram-negative bacteria, but no fungi, Thermophiles, or legionella, were identified. Although specific agents responsible for each individual case could not be identified, probably both specific sensitizing agents and non-specific irritants from metal working fluids, additives, or contaminants contributed to this spectrum of occupational respiratory illness.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = metal (Clic here for more details about this article) |