• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.84-91
• /
• 1999

Pneumoconiosis is a pathological change which is caused by coal dusts. It is a chronic disease that is not cured thoroughly but need treatment and nursing care through all lifetime of the patient. The family of the patient will be suffered from the physical and mental difficulties in the consequence of pneumoconiosis. The study is to find out the characteristics of the families with pneumoconiosis patients. The subjects of the study were 300 families with pneumoconiosis patients who were under medical treatment in Taeback, Donghae, Jeongsun Occupational Medical Center. The period of the study was from the 8th to the 31st of August, 1998. The data were collected by the structured questionnaires included the family intensity measurement which was translated by "Oh". The general properties of the subjects were calculated by frequency and percentage with SAS program. The followings are the summaries of the study. 1) The mean age of the pneumoconiosis patients was 62.3 years. The mean duration of diseases was 11 years and 7 months and the mean duration of hospital stay was 6 years and 4 months. 2) The mean age of the primary care giver was 55.7 years. The proportion of highschool education was 9.6% and it was quite low level compared to other primary care giver groups. 3) The average number of family members were 1.76 person(2.76 persons included patient). The economic status was somewhat high compared to other families with chronic patients. 4) The mean score of family intensity was 41.2(item mean=3.4). With the result, it is recommended to develop a program to improve the quality of family life. For example, there will be social support program for pneumoconiosis patients family sponsored by Social Insurance for Occupational Diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.22 no.1 s.25
• /
• pp.25-28
• /
• 1989

Sixty-two medical records of patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis who died in hospital as coal workers' pneumoconiosis were analysed for study of the relationship between forced expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) and life expectancy in coal workers'pneumoconiosis. In the group who died of asphyxia from hemoptysis, life expectancy were well fitted with $FEV_1$(p<0.05). But others were not well fitted to simple linear regression equation. The prevalence of ECG sign of col pulmonale was more in the group of cardiorespiratory failure than asphyxia group. So, in the case of far advanced cor pulmonale, it was difficult to predict life expectancy by simple linear regression equation

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.20 no.2 s.22
• /
• pp.247-254
• /
• 1987

Serum immunoglobulin(Ig)A, IgG, IgM, levels were measured in 99 coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients and 12 healthy coal workers and 9 non-miners to compare with each group by the radiological categories, its complications and working period in coal mine. Serum were measured by nephelometry, The findings were as follows: 1) Serum IgA levels were significantly different between three groups of CWP patient, healthy coal worker and non-miner ($mean{\pm}standard$ deviation: $226.4{\pm}87.7,\;221.3{\pm}45.1,\;170.1{\pm}65.7$ respectively). 2) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among radiological categories of CWP. 3) There were no significant differences of Ig levels among simple pneumoconiosis and its complicated disorders. 4) The three Ig levels were slightly increased in the group of mining years less than 20 years (IgA: r=0.1869, p<0.10 IgG: r=0.2902, p<0.05 IgM: r=0.2889, p<0.05).

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 2005

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on depression and anxiety in coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Method: The research design used was a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The foot reflexology was performed for 60 minutes twice a week through five weeks in the experimental group, not in the control group. The subjects of this study consisted of both the experimental group of twenty-nine and the control group of thirty coal workers' pneumoconiosis. The data were collected from December 10, 2002 to February 15, 2003. To evaluate the effects of foot reflexology the scores of depression and anxiety were measured before and after the experiment in both groups. Data of this experiment were analyzed by Chi-square test, t-test, unpaired t-test, ANCOVA and Repeated Measures ANOVA with the SAS Program. Results: The score of depression decreased in the experimental group, not in the control group. There was a significant difference of depression between the two groups. The score of anxiety decreased in the experimental group, not in the control group. There was a significant difference of anxiety between the two groups. Conclusion: As a summary of the study results, foot reflexology was regarded that it attributed to the emotional promotion of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Therefore the foot reflexology is considered that might be used as an effective skill of nursing intervention program for coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.217-224
• /
• 2009

Inhaled inorganic dusts such as coal can cause inflammation and fibrosis in the lung called pneumoconiosis. Chronic inflammatory process in the lung is associated with various cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Expression of some cytokines mediates inflammation and leads to tissue damage or fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the levels of blood cytokines interleukin (IL)-$1\beta$, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$ and monocyte chemoatlractant protein (MCP)-1 among 124 subjects (control 38 and pneumoconiosis patient 86) with category of chest x-ray according to International Labor Organization (ILO) classification. The levels of serum IL-8 (p= 0.003), TNF-$\alpha$ (p=0.026), and MCP-1 (p=0.010) of pneumoconiosis patients were higher than those of subjects with the control. The level of serum IL-8 in the severe group with the small opacity (ILO category II or III) was higher than that of the control (p=0.035). There was significant correlation between the profusion of radiological findings with small opacity and serum levels of IL-$1\beta$(rho=0.218, p<0.05), IL-8 (rho=0.224, p<0.05), TNF-$\alpha$ (rho=0.306, p<0.01), and MCP-1 (rho=0.213, p<0.01). The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8, however, did not show significant difference between pneumoconiosis patients and the control. There was no significant correlation between serum levels of measured cytokines and other associated variables such as lung function, age, BMI, and exposure period of dusts. Future studies will be required to investigate the cytokine profile that is present in pneumoconiosis patient using lung specific specimens such as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), exhaled breath condensate, and lung tissue.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.28 no.1 s.49
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 1995

Diatomaceous earth, quarried from the remains of aquatic plants deposited millions of years ago, continues to be a very important raw material with many industrial uses. In its natural state, diatomaceous earth is an amorphous silica with no crystalline pattern. For many uses, however, it is calcinated and calcination converts a portion of the amorphous silica to a crystalline form, cristobalite which is far more fibrogenic. In a factory which produces calcinated diatomaceous earth, seven workers were proved as pneumoconiosis on 1991 and 1992. Authors reviewed medical chart and current status of them. Authors also examined thirty one subjects from the factory with questionnaire, physical examination, spirometry and chest radiography on August 13th 1993. The radiographs were independently interpreted by two radiologists and their findings were classified by International Classification of Radiography of Pneumoconiosis(ILO, 1980). Total and respirable dust of diatomaceous earth were measured on October 1993. The results were as follows; 1. Of 31 workers, 6 (19.4%) were diagnosed as diatomaceous earth pneumoconiosis. There was an increasing tendency in prevalence of pneumoconiosis as the duration of dust exposure gets longer. 2. There were no significant differences in age, smoking rate, alcohol drinking rate, and pulmonary function test results between cases and non-cases. 3. The means of total dust exposures at flour manufacturing, fire brick grinding and packaging, ceramic raws packaging processes exceeded Korean and ACGIH standards, $10mg/m^3$. Above results suggest that engineering controls, periodic environmental and medical surveillance are important for preventing pneumoconiosis in the diatomite factory.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.355-365
• /
• 2015

Objectives: This study was conducted to better understand the relationship between health effects and exposure to dusts from a briquette fuel complex in Ansim, Daegu, Korea. Methods: The subjects of this study consisted of 2,980 persons over 40 years old who had lived 20 years or more around a briquette fuel complex in Daegu. We conducted a questionnaire survey, and chest radiography was performed. In addition, chest computed tomography(CT) (335 cases) and pulmonary function test(PFT) (658 cases) were done. Pneumoconiosis was diagnosed if one of three radiologists determined(or suspected) pneumoconiosis. We also conducted in-depth interviews for pneumoconiosis cases. We defined the exposed group as subjects residing within a 500 meter radius from the walls of the briquette fuel complex, and the others were defined as the control group. Results: Subjects in the exposed and control groups are respectively 715(24%) and 2,265 cases(76%). Major respiratory symptoms in the exposed group such as sputum, dyspnea, chest tightness and wheezing were significantly higher than in the control group. By chest radiography, 173 cases of pneumoconiosis or suspicious pneumoconiosis were detected. By PFT, 62 cases(29.5%) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) among 210 asymptomatic subjects were detected. Finally, by chest CT we concluded 28 cases to be pneumoconiosis, and eight cases among them proved to be pneumoconiosis by environmental exposure. Conclusions: Through this study, we concluded that health outcomes such as respiratory symptoms, pneumoconiosis, and COPD were caused by continuous exposure to dusts from the briquette fuel complex. Policies to reduce environmental exposure are needed, and cases of environmental disease should be intensively followed up by the government.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.605-614
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among loneliness, life satisfaction, social support and perceived health status, and further to identify factors affecting loneliness among hospitalized patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey. A sample of 205 hospitalized patients with pneumoconiosis was recruited from August 10 to 27, 2011. The data were collected using structured questionnaire and were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 17.0 program. Results: The mean score of loneliness was very high (46.5). The levels of loneliness depended on several factors including the duration of coalworker caregiver, personality, exercise, hobbies and reported complications. The reported loneliness was significantly correlated with life satisfaction (r=-.204, p=.003). family support (r=-.220, p=.002), professional medical team support (r=-.303, p<.001) and perceived health status (r=-.175, p=.012). The influential factors affecting loneliness were professional medical team support, life satisfaction, and personality, perceived health status, complication and family support, which explained about 21.8% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nursing intervention is needed to reduce loneliness, and to improve the perceived health status, social support and life satisfaction in the hospitalized patient with pneumoconiosis. These results can provide for evidence of nursing intervention to facilitate reduction of loneliness.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.135-145
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study was to examine the cardiopulmonary symptoms, quality of sleep, and depression, and to identify the influencing factors in the hospitalized coal worker's pneumoconiosis patient. Methods: 137 hospitalized patients who received pneumoconiosis treatment were conveniently selected. A descriptive correlational study was conducted. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean score of cardiopulmonary symptoms was relatively high ($3.97{\pm}0.56$, out of 5). The 5 and over score of quality of sleep, sleep disturbance was 94.2%, and the reported depression was 95.6%. The levels of depression depended on the oxygen therapy and family/acquaintance visiting. The depression was significantly correlated with the cardiopulmonary symptoms and quality of sleep. The influential factors affecting depression were cardiopulmonary symptoms and quality of sleep, which explained about 34.1% of the variance. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nursing interventions are needed to reduce depression, and to improve cardiopulmonary symptoms and quality of sleep in the hospitalized pneumoconiosis patient. These results can provide for nursing intervention to facilitate reduction of depression.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.238-245
• /
• 1991

This study was analysis of ${\alpha}$-quartz in the 37 worker's lung died of coal workers' pneumoconiosis(CWP) and in the 9 normal's lung by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer. The results were as follows : 1. The dried lung weight percents in wet lung weight were 24.4%, 25.4%, coal workers' pneumoconiosis and normal lungs, respectively. Ash weight percents in dried lung weight were 7.7%, 5.0%, coal workers' pneumoconiosis and normal lungs, respectively. 2. The presision (as of coefficient of variation) for the ${\alpha}$-quartz determination were 2.6% in standard quartz (ranged from 9.9 to $198.0{\mu}g$) and 3.7% in ashed lung samples. 3. The characterstic ${\alpha}$-quartz absorption spectra in lungs of CWP were only shawn by LTA ashing. 4. Geometric mean of ${\alpha}$-quartz concentration in CWP lung was 173mg/100g dried lung. 5. The concentrations of ${\alpha}$-quartz in Korean CWP lungs were similar to those of foreign coal miner's lungs.