A Study of Pulmonary Function Test in Workers Engaged in Processing of Natural Rubber
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijop.v7i1.262Keywords:
FEF25–75%, Pulmonary function, rubber workers.Abstract
Background
The rubber industries use a greater variety of chemicals than any other branch of industry. The processing area is the site at which workers are exposed to many atmospheric contaminants. The impact of health hazards of latex in this group of workers is highly under reported and it is in this regards that an attempt in this study was made to assess the influence of latex and other chemicals on pulmonary function of workers engaged in rubber processing.
Objective
To assess the pulmonary function of workers engaged in processing of natural rubber
Method
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 50 rubber workers who were selected from camps conducted in different parts of Kottayam district, Kerala.
A portable vitalograph was used to assess the pulmonary functions-FEV1(Forced expiratory volume in 1st second), FEV1/FVC and FEF25–75%(Forced expiratory flow rate). Statistical analysis was done using excel and epi-info
Results
A statistically significant reduction was seen in the FEV1/FVC values among 80% of the rubber workers indicating obstructive airway disease. A statistically significant reduction was seen in the FEF 25–75% values among 26% of the rubber workers.
Conclusion
Rubber workers have a risk of developing obstructive and small airway diseases due to continuous exposure to latex and chemicals which are airway irritants. Health awareness and health promotion activities should be initiated among the workers to prevent and reduce the progress of pulmonary diseases.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright Ownership: Authors retain copyright ownership of their work after publication in IJOP. However, they grant the journal an exclusive Creative Commons license.
Creative Commons License: The authors grant IJOP the right to exclusively apply a Creative Commons license to their work upon publication. This license permits use, distribution, and reproduction of the work in any medium, provided that the original work and its source are properly cited. The specific license applied is Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows for attribution, non-commercial use, and derivative works.
Editorial Research: Authors grant the journal the right to analyze information obtained from submitted manuscripts for editorial research purposes. This analysis aims to improve the peer-review process, teaching, and training activities.
Warranties: Authors warrant that their work is original, contains no libelous statements, is lawful, and does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, patent, or proprietary rights of others. Authors agree to indemnify the editors against any costs, expenses, and damages arising from any breach of this warranty.
Views and Opinions: The views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the journal.