You are using an outdated browser. For a faster, safer browsing experience, upgrade for free today.

Occupational interstitial diseases: pneumoconiosis and coronavirus disease (COVID-19). epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostics, prevention

ISSN 2223-6775 Ukrainian journal of occupational health Vol.18, No 4, 2022


https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2022.04.285

Occupational interstitial diseases: pneumoconiosis and coronavirus disease (COVID-19). epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostics, prevention

Lashko O.M., Kurmyshov O.V., Mukha Yu.Yu
State Institution «Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine», Kyiv


Full article (PDF): ENG / UKR

Introduction. In the structure of occupational morbidity of the population of Ukraine, pathology of the bronchopulmonary system occupies the first place. Interstitial lung diseases are among the most common diseases of the respiratory system of occupational etiology, pneumoconiosis dominates among them. The main share of cases of the disease is registered in the coal industry (70-80% of the total level of occupational morbidity). The disease is characterized by a progressive course and the addition of serious complications in the form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, malignant neoplasms, etc., which leads to the loss of work capacity and disability of the patient, often at a young working age.

The problem has gained wide recognition both in Ukraine and at the international level. Due to its high social and economic importance, the WHO recognized the problem of eliminating pneumoconiosis in the world as one of the priorities. In Ukraine, the acute disease of COVID-19 was included in the list of occupational diseases, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 13, 2020 No. 394 "On Amendments to the List of Occupational Diseases". Healthcare workers are a professional group whose risk of infection with COVID-19 is one of the highest. The occupational incidence of COVID-19 in Ukraine remains "underrecognized" for numerous social, organizational, and medical reasons, and the consequences of an acute illness in the form of interstitial changes in the lungs of a fibrous nature are extremely rarely recognized as being related to the profession. The economic damage associated with compensation for loss of working capacity, medical expenses for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients, as well as the reproduction of the workforce, makes the problem of prevention and early diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases one of the priorities in the field of occupational medicine. At the current stage, the development of new diagnostic methods that will allow detecting pathology in the early stages, objectifying the diagnosis, and effectively monitoring its course is of the exceptional importance. Based on literary sources, this article presents modern data on the main features of the coronavirus infection associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused a pandemic in 2019, according to the definition of the World Health Organization. We also analyzed various emerging technologies and summarized current advances in pneumoconiosis and Covid-19 research to identify potential treatment targets and areas for future research. Pneumoconiosis, in turn, remains widespread throughout the world, and in recent years it has maintained a relatively high incidence rate. It is a serious global public health problem due to the lack of prevention of dust formation in the workplace, the inability to diagnose the disease in its early stages, and the limited effective methods of treating the disease. New diagnostic methods and therapeutic goals give hope for solving the clinical problems of pneumoconiosis, and various new research methods create opportunities for in-depth study. Therefore, we summarized the latest epidemiological studies and modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis and coronavirus disease.

Purpose. Summarize the main ideas about the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and preventive measures of pneumoconiosis and coronavirus disease.

Materials and methods. Selection of information took place using data from scientific literature and Internet resources. Data from scientific bibliographic databases "Occupational and Environmental Resources", "PubMed" were used; International Information Center for Occupational Safety and Health.

The results. Data on the incidence of pneumoconiosis and coronavirus disease are summarized, the main risk factors for the development of the disease are determined. An analysis of the diagnostic effectiveness of methods of imaging and functional diagnosis of occupational interstitial lung diseases is presented.

Conclusions. The priority of developing methods for early diagnosis of occupational interstitial lung diseases is determined by the significant share of pathology in the group of miners and medical workers who are exposed to harmful factors of the industrial environment, the need to improve the diagnosis of diseases in the early stages of development.

Keywords: pneumoconiosis, COVID-19, diagnosis, prevention.

References

  1. Ivchuk, Yu. Yu. (2021),"Regarding the issue of approximation of national legislation on labor protection to international standards in the field of occupational safety and occupational hygiene", Actual problems of law: theory and practice, No. 1 (41), pp. 11-20, https://doi.org/10.33216/2218-5461-2021-41-1-11-20
  2. Niu, S, et al. (2020),"Clinical characteristics of older patients infected with COVID-19: A descriptive study", Arch Gerontol Geriatr, No. 89, pp.104058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2020.104058
  3. Morley, J.E., Vellas B. (2020), "COVID-19 and Older Adults", J Nutr Health Aging,. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1349-9
  4. Sun, P, et al. (2020), "Clinical characteristics of 50466 hospitalized patients with 2019-nCoV infection", J Med Virol, https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.25735
  5. Feshchenko,Yui et al. (2019), Nosocomial pneumonia in adults: etiology, pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy and prevention, Adapted evidence-based clinical practice, Kyiv, 94 p.
  6. "On making changes to the protocol "Providing medical assistance for the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)": order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated April 10, 2020 No. 852, available at: https://moz.gov.ua/uploads/4/20030-dn_10042020_852_protokol.pdf
  7. Godwin, J.D., Fram, E.K., Cann, C.E., et al. (1982),"CT densitometry of pulmonary nodules: a phantom study", J Comput Assist Tomogr, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 254-258. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004728-198204000-00005
  8. Groel, R, Peichel, K.H., Uggowitzer, M.M., et al. (1999), "Computed tomography densitometry of the lung: a method to assess perfusion defects in acute pulmonary embolism", Eur J Radiol, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 192-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0720-048X(99)00032-7
  9. Gruden, J.F., Naidich, D.P., Machnicki, S.C., et al. (2020), "An algorithmic approach to the interpretation of diffuse lung disease on chest CT imaging: a theory of almost everything", Chest, Vol. 157,No.3, pp. 612-635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2019.10.017
  10. Jones, C.M., Pasricha, S.S., Heinze, S.B., et al.(2020),"Med Imaging Radiat Oncol", Vol. 64,No. 2, pp. 241-249. https://doi.org/10.1111/1754-9485.13015
  11. Basanets, A.V. (2004), "Diagnosis of pneumoconiosis", Ukrainian Pulmonology Journal, No. 3, pp.69-71.
  12. Basanets, A.V., Ostapenko, T.A. (2005), "Peculiarities of lung function disorders in coal miners", Ukrainian journal of occupational health, No. 1, pp. 12-15 https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2005.01.012
  13. Basanets, A.V., Varyvonchyk,D.V., Ermakova, O.V. (2009), "Evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of antihomotoxic therapy in complex treatment patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of occupational origin (controlled study)", Ukrainian journal of occupational health, No. 2(18), pp.59-72 https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2009.02.059
  14. Tkachyshyn, V.S., (2011), Occupational diseases, SE "Information and Analytical Agency", Kyiv, 895 p.
  15. Abrahamovych, O.O. (Ed.)(2004), "Occupational diseases.", Internal diseases, , Lviv Book Factory "Atlas", Lviv, Vol. 2, Part 9, pp. 461-521.
  16. Malenkyi, V.P. (2005), Occupational diseases, Nova kniga, Kyiv, 336 p.
  17. Kostyuk, I.F. Cabbage, V.A (2005), Occupational diseases: Textbook (in English), Fakt, Kharkiv, 416 p.
  18. McCunney,R.J., Rountree,P.P., Barbanel, C.S. et al.(2013), A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 5th edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 912 p.
  19. Rosenstock, L., Cullen, M.R., Brodkin, C., Redlich, C. (2014),Textbook of Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 4th edition, Saunders, 1328 p.
  20. Basanets, A. V. (2003), "On the classification of pneumoconiosis: new edition of the International Labor Organization of 2000", Ukrainian Pulmonology Journal, No. 4, pp. 61-64.
  21. Akira, M., Yamamoto, S., Inoue, Y., Sakatani, M. (2003), "High-resolution CT of asbestosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis", Am. J. Roentgenol, Vol. 181, No. 1, pp. 163-169. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.181.1.1810163
  22. Bauer, T.T., Schultze Werninghaus, G., Kollmeier, J., Weber, A., Eibel, R., Lemke, B., Schmidt, E.W. (2001), "Functional variables associated with the clinical grade of dyspnoea in coal miners with pneumoconiosis and mild bronchial obstruction", Occup. Environ. Med, Vol. 58, pp. 794-799. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.58.12.794
  23. Chi, L., Piao, Z., Liu, Y. (2001), "Change of pulmonary diffusing capacity, membrane diffusing capacity and pulmonary capillary blood volume in patients with COPD and connective tissue disease at rest and postexercise", Zhonghua Jie He He Hu, Vol. 21, No. 6, pp. 344-347.
  24. Chin, R., Knower, M. T., Adair, N. E. (2001), "Baseline oxygen saturation predicts exercise desaturation below pres treshold in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 161, No. 5, pp. 732-736. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.161.5.732
  25. Hertzberg, V. S., Rosenman, K. D., Reilly, M. J., Rice, C. H. (2002), "Effect of occupational silica exposure on pulmonary function", Chest, Vol. 122, No. 2, pp. 721-728. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.122.2.721
  26. Lamers, R.J., Schins, R.P., Wouters, E.F., van Engelshoven, J.M. (1994), "High-resolution computed tomography of the lungs in coal miners with a normal chest radiograph", Exp. Lung Res, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 411-419. https://doi.org/10.3109/01902149409064397
  27. Lin, L. C., Yang, S. C., Lu, K. W. (2001), "Ventilatory defect in coal workers with simple pneumoconiosis: early detection of functional abnormalities", Kaohsiung J. Med. Sci, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 245-252.
  28. Muller, N. L. (2002), "Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging: past, present and future", European Respiratory Journal, Suppl, No. 35, pp. 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.02.00248202
  29. RemyJardin, M. (1992), "High-resolution CT of the lungs of miners", Radiol. Clin. North Am, No. 30, pp. 1155-1176.
  30. Wang, X. R., Christiani, D. C. (2000), "Respiratory symptoms and functional status in workers exposed to silica, asbestos and coal mine dust", J. Occup. Environ. Med, Vol. 42, No. 11, pp. 1076-1084. https://doi.org/10.1097/00043764-200011000-00009
  31. Wang, Y., Luo, Y., Yuan, Y., Zeng, J. (2001), "Measurement and clinical use of recoil pressure of the respiratory system", Journal West China University Of Medical Sciences, Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 422-423.
  32. Yeoh, C. I., Yang, S. C.(2002),"Pulmonary function impairment in pneumoconiosis patients with progressive massive fibrosis", Chang. Gung. Med. J., Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 72-80.
  33. Danrad, R., Lin, L., Salehi, S., (2021), "Medical Imaging and Computational Image Analysis in COVID-19 Diagnosis: A Review", Computers in Biology and Medicine, Vol. 135, No. 9, pp.104605,. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104605