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Results for “CAISSON DISEASE”

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At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Compressed air tunneling and caisson work decompression procedures: development, problems, and solutions.

Multinational experience over many years indicates that all current air decompression schedules for caisson and compressed air tunnel workers are inadequate. All of them, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration tables, produce dysbaric osteonecrosis. The problem is compounded because decompression sickness (DCS) tends to be underreported. Permanent damage in the form of central nervous system or brain damage may occur in compressed air tunnel workers, as seen on magnetic resonance imaging, in addition to dysbaric osteonecrosis. Oxygen decompression seems to be the only viable method for safely decompressing tunnel workers. Oxygen decompression of tunnel workers has been successfully used in Germany, France, and Brazil. In Germany, only oxygen decompression of compressed air workers is permitted. In our experience, U.S. Navy tables 5 and 6 usually prove adequate to treat DCS in caisson workers despite extremely long exposure times, allowing patients to return to work following treatment for DCS. Tables based on empirical data and not on mathematical formulas seem to be reasonably safe. U.S. Navy Exceptional Exposure Air Decompression tables are compared with caisson tables from the United States and Great Britain.

Decompression↗
PubMed2001

Characteristics of workers attending the pneumoconiosis clinic for silicosis assessment in Hong Kong: retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyse the baseline characteristics of workers attending the pneumoconiosis clinic for assessment of silicosis. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: One thousand and fifty-six patients with silica dust exposure attending the pneumoconiosis clinic for compensation assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline demographic characteristics, lung function parameters, and radiographic findings. RESULTS: Six hundred and forty-eight patients were diagnosed with silicosis, of which 10 were female. Excluding the data on female patients, the mean duration of dust exposure was 24.2 years. The majority of patients were involved in caisson work and stone splitting. Most newly diagnosed patients had simple silicosis. Less than a quarter (24.8%) had progressive massive fibrosis. Lung function parameters at diagnosis were within the normal range. Pulmonary tuberculosis remained an important co-existing disease. CONCLUSION: The major cause of silicosis in Hong Kong is chronic silica dust exposure in the construction industry. Simple silicosis predominated at diagnosis, with normal lung function parameters seen in the majority of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Development of myopia as a hazard for workers in pneumatic caissons.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pneumatic caisson engineering has been developed for large civil engineering constructions. Because of complaints of blurred vision by personnel working in pneumatic caissons, the development of myopia was suspected. The aim of this study was to determine the cause of the blurred vision and the mechanism underlying the changes. METHODS: 12 caisson workers underwent a complete ophthalmological examination after completing up to 11 weeks of work (4 days/week) in a pneumatic caisson. Six months later, nine of the workers were examined again. RESULTS: Nine subjects were myopic at the initial examination, and seven of these were considered to have developed the myopia after starting to work in the pneumatic caisson. Six months after completion of the work, the mean refractive change was significantly towards hyperopia. CONCLUSIONS: The blurred vision in pneumatic caisson workers was in all likelihood due to the development of myopia. The refractive shift towards hyperopia after completion of work in the pneumatic caisson supports this and demonstrates that the changes were temporary. The myopia is similar to the myopia seen in patients treated by hyperbaric oxygen. Careful monitoring of the refraction of caisson workers should be performed for industrial health control.

Adult↗