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Biomedical subjects

C B Monroe

Publications and source records attributed to C B Monroe.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Incidence of respiratory cancer among workers exposed to chloromethyl-ethers.

A factory in France had used technical-grade chloromethyl-methyl-ether in the manufacture of anion exchange resins since 1958. Technical-grade chloromethyl-methyl-ether contains a human lung carcinogen, bis-chloromethyl-ether. The purpose of this cohort study was to determine if workers at the factory whose jobs had involved potential exposure to technical chloromethyl-methyl-ether had a higher incidence of lung cancer than coworkers, or others without potential exposure. Lung cancer occurred at a higher rate among potentially exposed workers than among nonexposed workers at the same plant (rate ratio (RR) = 5.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-12.3), or among an external reference population (RR = 7.6, 95% CI 4.3-13.5). The average age at diagnosis for exposed cases was 10.5 years lower than for nonexposed cases. The predominantly small-cell cancers of the exposed were mostly oat-cell. There was a positive dose-response relation. The mean time from first exposure to diagnosis was 13 years (95% CI 8-18). Cumulative dose and induction time were not associated. The rate for the exposed workers peaked between 7 and 13 years after the start-up of the chloromethylation process, and was still above background in 1986, the end of the study period.

Bis(Chloromethyl) Ether↗

Projecting physician requirements in a two-county region in Ohio.

A methodology for projecting physician requirements in a geographical region is presented. The procedure incorporates variables defining physician workloads, rates of retirement and estimated population changes to determine the future needs for health care practitioners. A case study using data from a two-county region of northeastern Ohio is included to illustrate the applicability of the projection methodology.

Health Planning↗

Pulmonary function in firefighters: a six-year follow-up in the Boston Fire Department.

Tests of ventilatory capacity, objective cough, and standardized respiratory questionnaires were used in a prospective study to measure the effect of firefighting on pulmonary function in a cohort of 951 white Boston firefighters between 1970-1976. During the six years of follow-up, the mean annual decrements in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were 36 and 29 ml per year, respectively. At the end of the study in 1976, the mean FEV1 for this group was 98.3% of the level predicted for healthy nonsmoking adults, while the FVC was 97.8%. Current cigarette smoking was associated with an increased prevalence of bronchitis, a loose cough, reduced levels of FEV1 and FVC, and increased longitudinal changes in FEV1 and FVC. The longitudinal changes and current levels of FEV1 and FVC were not correlated with any index of firefighting exposure in active firefighters. Increased use of protective respiratory apparatus and previously described selection effects within the Boston Fire Department appear to be protecting this group of firefighters from long-term effects of smoke exposure as measured by these techniques.

Adult↗

Mixed pneumoconiosis: silicosis, asbestosis, talcosis, and berylliosis.

Mixed pneumoconiosis is pulmonary disease due to two or more inhaled mineral irritants. Chronic disease due to beryllium has not been a component of any described mixed pneumoconiosis. A man with occupational exposure to a combination of dusts developed severe pulmonary disease. Silicosis, talcosis, asbestosis, and berylliosis were all documented by an open biopsy of the lung. The varieties of mixed pneumoconiosis are summarized.

Asbestosis↗