The evaluation of asthmatic patients working in a textile factory

Abstract

Objective: Workers with asthma are one of the risk working groups. Being exposed to indoor air pollutants in the workplace makes it difficult to control asthma and can lead to asthma attacks. This study was conducted by a workplace physician of a textile factory in Denizli, 2009, and it was investigated whether workers with asthma were affected or not in the workplace. Material and Method: Some data about health/diseases status and individual characteristics of 41 workers who had previously been diagnosed with asthma were collected. Spirometric measurements were made. PEF (peak expiratory flow) meters recordings were made 4 times a day during 4 weeks to indicate the effects of the workplace. PEF rates were calculated using the measurements before and after the shift. Results: There were 1553 workers in the factory and 41 of them had asthma (2.6%). Twenty-eight of them were female. Nearly half of the workers with asthma were smoking more than 5 cigarettes per day. PFT (pulmonary function test) measurements were lower in workers with asthma. PFT measurements were lower in current smoker workers with asthma than in nonsmoker. When we evaluated PEF measurements; we found 8% decrease between the start and end of the shifts. Nearly half of the PFT results of asthma workers were found to be normal. Daily PEFR variability of more than 20% was 4.4%. Conclusion: The 75.6% of asthmatic workers were current smokers. Also, all workers having a daily PEFR variability higher than 20% were current smokers. These findings indicate that smoking is the most important problem that must be solved. A smoking cessation programme has been initiated for workers.