Occupational lung disease: A narrative review of lung conditions from the workplace

Our plain-English summary of Occupational lung disease: A narrative review of lung conditions from the workplace, by M.I. Jumat, F. Hayati, S.S. Syed Abdul Rahim, et al (Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 2021).

The study

• Authors: M.I. Jumat, F. Hayati, S.S. Syed Abdul Rahim, S. Saupin, K. Awang Lukman, M.S. Jeffree, H.B. Lasimbang, F. Kadir
• Journal: Annals of Medicine and Surgery
• Published: 2021;64:102245
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 9 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Occupational lung diseases are lung conditions caused or made worse by materials when a person is exposed to a workplace. The diagnosis of an occupational disease is important for workers' decision to continue work and for their eligibility under compensation programmes. We revisit the existing lung diseases that are closely associated with the occupation at the workplace namely occupational asthma, silicosis, black lung disease, farmers' lung disease, asbestos-linked disease, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Occupational lung diseases contribute toward global health and economic impacts. Prevention and control of occupational lung diseases require a collaborative effort among employers, workers, occupational physicians, pulmonary physicians, industrial hygienists, and members from other disciplines.

© 2021 The Authors.

In plain English

This article was a narrative review by authors in Malaysia. It did not report new data. It summarised published literature on several work-related lung diseases: occupational asthma, silicosis, black lung disease (coal workers' pneumoconiosis), asbestos-linked disease, and farmers' lung disease (hypersensitivity pneumonitis). The article does not describe how the literature was searched or selected. Its asbestos section described asbestos as a fibrous silicate material used in construction and in products such as brake linings, tiles, insulation and furnace linings. It named chrysotile (serpentine) and amphibole fibres such as crocidolite, amosite and tremolite. Citing earlier studies, the review stated that asbestos exposure increases the risk of non-malignant diseases (pleural effusion, pleural plaques, rounded atelectasis, asbestosis) and malignant diseases (mesothelioma, bronchogenic carcinoma). It also stated that at least 40 countries have banned or severely restricted asbestos. It said there are no secondary preventive or curative mechanisms for asbestos-related disease. Citing another study, it reported that cases of occupational lung disease reported to Malaysia's Department of Occupational Safety and Health rose from 86 in 2015 to 150 in 2016. The authors concluded that prevention and control require collaboration among employers, workers, physicians, industrial hygienists and other disciplines.

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: Narrative review of published literature; no original data were collected
• Who was studied: No study population. The review covered published literature on occupational asthma, silicosis, black lung disease, asbestos-linked disease, farmers' lung disease and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, with some reference to Malaysian studies.
• Exposure: Various workplace exposures. For asbestos, the review described fibres used in construction and manufacturing (brake linings and pads, tiles, bricks, insulation, furnace linings). It covered chrysotile and amphiboles (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite).
• Main results:
  • The review stated, citing earlier studies, that asbestos exposure increases the risk of non-malignant diseases (pleural effusion, pleural plaques, rounded atelectasis, asbestosis) and malignant diseases (mesothelioma and bronchogenic carcinoma).
  • The review stated that all of the asbestos fibre types it described have been linked to carcinoma, mesothelioma and lung fibrosis.
  • The review stated that reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are responsible for the main toxicity of asbestos after fibres are taken up by lung cells.
  • The review stated that at least 40 countries, including the US, have banned or severely restricted asbestos use.
  • The review stated that there are no secondary preventive or curative mechanisms for asbestos-related disease.
  • The review stated that lung cancer linked with asbestos exposure is treated the same way as other lung cancers.
  • Citing another review, the article reported that occupational lung disease cases reported to Malaysia's Department of Occupational Safety and Health rose from 86 in 2015 to 150 in 2016. These are all occupational lung diseases, not asbestos cases specifically.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that occupational lung diseases have global health and economic impacts, including in Malaysia. They concluded that prevention and control require a collaborative effort among employers, workers, occupational and pulmonary physicians, industrial hygienists and other disciplines.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Occupational Lung Disease, Occupational Disease, Silicosis, Pneumonitis.

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