Asbestos-cement pneumoconiosis: first surgically confirmed case in Kuwait

Our plain-English summary of Asbestos-cement pneumoconiosis: first surgically confirmed case in Kuwait, by I.Y. Mohamed (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1990).

The study

• Author: I.Y. Mohamed
• Journal: American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 1990;17(2):241-5
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 3 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher
• In J-M's library: Johns-Manville's company medical library held a copy (J-M no. 000030).

Abstract

During the periodic medical examination of workers of the only asbestos-cement pipe factory in Kuwait, an early case of asbestosis was diagnosed. It was the first case of asbestosis to be reported and compensated in Kuwait. According to available information, it is also the first reported case to be confirmed by surgery in the Arabian Gulf countries. Recommendations are given in regard to diagnosis, the institution of very strict preventive and protective measures, and the system of compensation in Kuwaiti law.

In plain English

This article was a case report of one worker at the only asbestos-cement pipe factory in Kuwait. The factory began operating in 1977, employed 315 workers, and used chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite. The worker was a 43-year-old male Indian supervisor who had worked there for 9 years in the mixing and manufacture departments and had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years. At his 1986 periodic examination he had shortness of breath on exertion and a cough. His chest film showed opacities at the bases of both lungs, and lung tests showed what the author called small airway obstructive and mild restrictive patterns. A lung biopsy showed interstitial fibrosis and ferruginous asbestos bodies. Air sampling in 1983 and 1985 found fiber levels the author described as much lower than the Kuwaiti limit of 2 fibers per cc. The author reported this as the first asbestosis case reported and compensated in Kuwait (10% disability). The author gave a crude prevalence of 0.32% at the factory but noted that rapid workforce turnover prevented a valid prevalence measurement. The author called for lower exposure limits and strict protective measures.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report
• Who was studied: One 43-year-old male Indian supervisor at the asbestos-cement pipe factory at Mina-Abdulla, Kuwait, examined in 1985 and 1986. The factory began operating in 1977 and employed 315 workers.
• Exposure: 9 years in the mixing department (asbestos fiber) and the manufacture department (asbestos-cement). The factory used chrysotile (9 tons), crocidolite (3.5 tons) and amosite (0.5 ton) per day. The worker also smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years.
• Main results:
  • In 1986 the worker's chest film showed bilateral basal reticulonodular opacities, with no reported evidence of pleural fibrosis.
  • In the worker's 1986 lung tests, FVC was 78% of predicted and FEV1 was 73%. The author interpreted these as small airway obstructive and mild restrictive patterns.
  • The worker was referred for lung biopsy as a case of atypical asbestosis.
  • The lung biopsy showed interstitial fibrosis, loss of alveoli and ferruginous asbestos bodies.
  • Airborne fiber ranges in the factory were 0.006-0.11 fiber/cc in 1983 and 0.1-1.65 fiber/cc in 1985. The author described both as much lower than the Kuwaiti threshold limit value of 2 fibers/cc.
  • Workers used the half-face dust masks provided by the factory only occasionally. Change of work clothes and washing facilities were lacking.
  • The case was compensated at 10% disability of whole body efficiency. Kuwaiti compensation law is based on decrease in vital capacity.
  • The author gave a crude prevalence of asbestosis of 0.32% at the factory.
  • The author described this as the first asbestosis case reported and compensated in Kuwait.
  • According to available information, this was the first case confirmed by surgery in the Arabian Gulf countries.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that the case drew attention to adopting lower exposure limits, such as the U.K. control limits, and strict preventive and protective measures in this industry in Kuwait.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Rapid workforce turnover prevents a valid measurement of the disease's prevalence.
  • Many workers are missed at the annual examinations.
  • The low air measurements reflect only conditions at the time of sampling.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Asbestos-Cement, Pneumoconiosis, Asbestos-Cement Pipe.

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