Occupational Lung Disease

Question 1

what is the Most common form of occupational & environmental lung disease

Answer 1

asthma

Question 2

when inhaled name 2 irritants that cause damage to the upper airways

Answer 2

ammonia

So2

Question 3

when inhaled name an irritant that causes damage to the lower airways

Answer 3

chlorine gas

Question 4

what happens to people who are exposed to high level of irritants

Answer 4

inflammation and pulmonary oedema of lung epithelium

bronchiolitis due to fibrous growth

Question 5

what is pneumoconiosis and who commonly suffers from this diseases

Answer 5

Inhalation of mineral dust

coal workers pneumoconiosis

Question 6

how is simple pneumoconiosis characterised

Answer 6

lungs contain dust, macrophages and fibroblasts (fibroses coal nodules)
seen on X-ray

Question 7

what can pneumoconiosis progress to

Answer 7

fibrosis + emphysema

Question 8

what can simple pneumoniosis cause

Answer 8

COPD

Question 9

what is complicated pneumoconiosis

Answer 9

massive fibrosis and restictive pattern breathlessness
behaves like tumour
chronic bronchitis

Question 10

what is Caplan’s Syndrome

Answer 10

rheumatoid pneumoconiosis (pulmonary nodules)

Question 11

what is silicosis

Answer 11

simple pneumoconiosis
fibrotic disease due to inhaled silica
silica is toxic to macrophages

Question 12

what occupations are predisposed to silicosis

Answer 12

	Mining
	Stone working 
	Foundry workers
	Glass workers 
	Boiler workers

Question 13

how does silicosis present on chest X-ray

Answer 13

egg-shell calcification of hilar nodes

Question 14

what characterises chronic silicosis

Answer 14

 restrictive pattern
 pulmonary fibrosis.
 Silicotic nodules of collagen

Question 15

clinical features of silicosis

Answer 15

	Cough 
	Dyspnoea
	Pleuritic pain
	Weight losss
	Mailase

Question 16

2 different types of asbestos

Answer 16

Serpentine (curved) asbestos fibres: relatively safe

Straight (amphibole) asbestos: Highly dangerous

Question 17

clinical features of asbestosis

Answer 17

	Parietal pleura plaques
	Interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis)
	Bronchial carcinoma
	Mesothelioma 
	Progressive dyspnoea
	Basal crackles
	Finger clubbing
	Honeycombing in lung and plaques

Question 18

what is present on a chest x-ray of a patient with asbestosis

Answer 18

honeycombing

Question 19

what diseases can asbestosis cause

Answer 19

pleuritic disease
pulmonary fibrosis
bronchial carcinoma

Question 20

how does pleuritic disease arise

Answer 20

benign asymptomatic pleural plaques
acute asbestos pleuritic - fever, pain, bloody pleural effusions
pleural effusion and diffuse pleural thickening
malignant mesothelioma

Question 21

how does mesothelioma present

Answer 21

chest pain

pleural effusion

Question 22

what is the prognosis of mesothelioma

Answer 22

bad
no treatment
fatal within 2 years

Question 23

what is the only cause of mesothelioma

Answer 23

asbestos exposure

Question 24

what does asbestosis lead to

Answer 24

lung fibrosis

restrictive defect

Question 25

how is asbestosis diagnosed

Answer 25

x-ray

asbestos in lung biopsy and sputum

Question 26

what is a sign of asbestosis

Answer 26

bilateral calcification

Question 27

what is hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Answer 27

extrinsic allergic alveolitis

inflammatory disease of the small airways due to ALLERGENS

Question 28

give examples of hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Answer 28

farmers lung due to inhaled mouldy hay particles

pigeon fanciers lung

Question 29

what are symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Answer 29

o Appear quickly
o Fever
o Dyspnoea
o Cough

Question 30

what organism is a chest infection in someone who owns a parrot likely to be caused by

Answer 30

chlamydia psittaci