Workers involved in hydraulic fracking processes are exposed to various types of chemicals and dusts in their workplaces, such as proppants, which hold open the fissures created in the fracking process. Recently, ceramic proppants have been developed that may be less hazardous to workers than traditional proppants. Pulmonary function testing of workers producing ceramic proppant was used to assess the potential inhalation hazards of ceramic proppant. Male workers (n = 100) from a producer of ceramic proppant were evaluated with pulmonary function test data collected and evaluated using The American Thoracic Society (ATS) acceptability criteria. A comparison group was selected from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) spirometry laboratory subset. No pulmonary function deficits were found in the worker group in comparison to the NHANES III population. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the mean FEV1 and FVC values in workers were 0.11 and 0.08 liters respectively, and were greater as compared to the NHANES III population. Curiously, an FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 0.8, when compared to the NHANES III group, produced an odds ratio of 0.44 in worker group, indicating less risk of preclinical pulmonary dysfunction. Overall, exposure to ceramic proppant was not found to produce an adverse impact on pulmonary function in workers engaged in the manufacture of ceramic proppant.

Introdução: A asma relacionada ao trabalho é a doença respiratória ocupacional mais comum e engloba a asma ocupacional e a asma agravada pelo trabalho. No Brasil, a legislação (NR7) determina que exames espirométricos sejam realizados periodicamente para os trabalhadores expostos a aerodispersóides. Essa determinação teria, entre seus propósitos, o de detectar doenças respiratórias, incluindo asma, mais precocemente e reduzir o risco ao trabalhador. No entanto, a capacidade dessa rotina em detectar a asma precocemente necessita de confirmação. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a ocorrência de sintomas nos trabalhadores expostos à aerodispersóides que apresentam espirometria normal. Assim, conheceremos as possibilidades de haver doença respiratória nesses casos. O estudo foi desenvolvido com 180 trabalhadores da cidade de Franca que apresentam exposição à aerodispersóides e que tinham espirometria normal; foi aplicado um questionário testado e validado para sintomas respiratórios e relação desses sintomas com o ambiente de trabalho. Resultados: Os sintomas foram detectados em 48 (26,7%) dos trabalhadores. Algum sintoma, incluindo sintoma nasal e prurido ocular, foi detectado em 26,7% da amostra de trabalhadores com espirometria normal. Dentre os sintomas compatíveis com asma, falta de ar estava presente em 8,3% da amostra; tosse, em 7,7% da amostra e sibilos em 3,3%. O tempo médio de exposição de 67 meses e idade média de 37 anos todos com espirometria normal. Conclusão: O presente estudo permitiu identificar os sintomas respiratórios apresentados pelos trabalhadores expostos a aerodispersóides, tipo e tempo de exposição, dados esses que podem contribuir para o melhor planejamento das ações de prevenção de doenças respiratórias ocupacionais. É possível haver doença respiratória, inclusive asma, em trabalhadores com espirometria normal, o que sugere que um questionário de sintomas poderia melhorar a capacidade de detectar doença respiratória ocupacional nos trabalhadores expostos. / Introduction: Work-related asthma is the most common occupational respiratory disease and includes both occupational asthma and asthma aggravated by work. In Brazil, the legislation (NR7) determines that spirometry exams be performed on a regular basis for workers exposed to aerodispersoids. Among other purposes, this determination aims at the early detection of respiratory diseases, including asthma, in order to reduce the risks to workers. However, the effectiveness of this routine in the early detection of asthma needs to be confirmed. The objective of this study was to analyze the occurrence of symptoms in workers exposed to aerodispersoids presenting normal spirometry. This will evidence the possibilities of presence of respiratory disease in these cases. The study was developed with 180 workers from the city of Franca, presenting exposure to aerodispersoids and who had normal spirometry values; a questionnaire tested and validated in previous studies was applied in order to obtain data on respiratory symptoms and the relationship of these symptoms to the work environment. Results: The symptoms were detected in 48 (26.7%) workers. A symptom, including nasal symptom and ocular pruritus, was detected in 26.7% of the sample of workers with normal spirometry values. Among the symptoms compatible with asthma, dyspnea was present in 8.3% of the sample; cough in 7.7% of the sample, and respiratory sounds in 3.3%. The mean time of exposure was 67 months and the mean age was 37 years, all with normal spirometry values. Conclusion: The present study allowed to identify the respiratory symptoms presented by workers exposed to aerodispersoids, and type and time of exposure, which can contribute for a better planning of preventive actions for respiratory diseases. It is possible to find respiratory diseases, including asthma, in workers with normal spirometry values, which suggests that a questionnaire of symptoms could improve the ability to detect occupational respiratory diseases in exposed workers.

Inhalation of organic dust, including endotoxin, has been associated with inflammatory response of the pulmonary system. Limited studies have evaluated the work shift effects of endotoxin on respiratory outcomes for workers in the dairy industry, such as spirometry changes. Measurement techniques for exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) have been standardized by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and used as a biomarker to identify diseases marked with lung inflammation. Dairy parlor workers are known to work long hours in one location with little job variability. The objectives of this study were to quantify exposure concentrations of inhalable dust and endotoxin among dairy parlor workers, evaluate acute cross-shift changes in respiratory status using spirometry, and assess the effectiveness of exhaled nitric oxide for detecting cross-shift bronchial inflammation changes. The cross-sectional study recruited 62 dairy parlor workers from 10 large herd dairy farms across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. Data collected before and after the work shifts included spirometry tests, eNO measurements, and pulmonary symptom questionnaires. Personal breathing zone exposure to inhalable dust was assessed during the shift using Button Aerosol Samplers. Gravimetric analysis was used to determine airborne concentrations of inhalable dust and endotoxin concentration was determined using the recombinant factor C assay. Inhalable dust concentrations ranged from 0.09 - 4.95 mg/m3 with a geometric mean of 0.58 mg/m3. Inhalable endotoxin concentrations ranged from 4-1968 EU/m3 with a geometric mean of 117 EU/m3. The study participants pre-shift forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) as a percentage of predicted was an average of 93.4%. Study group cross-shift FEV1 decreased by -1.16%. Six participants with moderate post-shift concentrations of eNO had an average FEV1 cross-shift change of -3.19%. Dairy parlor workers are exposed to concentrations of organic dusts that may adversely impact health. Future studies should test interventions in milking parlors to reduce dust exposure among dairy workers.

Background: The end-product of glycolysis is lactate, which is subsequently oxidised to produce more energy. With increasing intensity, the rate of lactate production exceeds the capacity to eliminate lactate, leading to an exponential accumulation of blood lactate. Clinicians use incremental graded exercise tests to induce this blood lactate curve. Two distinct thresholds can then be determined from the curve, of which the second threshold is highly correlated with competitive endurance performance. The exact threshold intensities depend on the threshold concept used as well as on variations in the test protocol. Aim: To evaluate how the Finnish lactate threshold concept is affected by using stage durations of 5 minutes instead of the recommended 3, and to determine how this affects the maximal oxygen uptake. Methods: Seven well-trained adults were recruited to perform two separate incremental graded exercise tests with 3- and 5-minute stages, respectively. Lactate thresholds were determined directly by blood lactate measurements and according to the instructions of the Finnish Society of Sport Sciences. Breath-by-breath gas exchange was measured throughout the tests.  Results: No significant differences occurred at the first lactate threshold. At the second lactate threshold, heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate remained unchanged, while speed dropped (-0.81 ±0.81 km/h; p=0.037) when comparing the 5-minute protocol with the 3-minute protocol. Both protocols resulted in similar peak oxygen uptakes, while speed at peak oxygen uptake decreased (-1.07 ±0.89 km/h; p=0.015) for the 5-minute protocol. Conclusion: This study showed that the chosen stage duration does not affect the blood lactate at the first or second lactate threshold, while a longer stage duration does affect the work intensity corresponding to the second lactate threshold of the Finnish lactate threshold concept. As the work intensity at LT2 is often used to prescribe endurance training and to predict competitive endurance performance, these findings can be of interest to the endurance testing community. It enables an extended understanding when designing test protocols and when analysing the results of a lactate threshold test. This might in turn contribute to more accurate exercise intensity prescriptions and thereby faster development among endurance athletes. Further research with more subjects as well as research into the validity of the Finnish lactate threshold concept is recommended. / Bakgrund: Vid glykolys bildas laktat som biprodukt som sedan oxideras för att producera mera energi. Vid högre träningsintensitet produceras mer laktat i kroppen än kroppen hinner oxidera och därmed börjar laktat ackumuleras i blodet. Kliniskt används inkrementella träningstester för att framkalla en blodlaktatkurva. Vanligtvis bestäms två distinkta trösklar ur kurvan, av vilka den andra laktattröskeln är starkt korrelerad med uthållighetsprestation i tävlingssammanhang. Den exakta träningsintensiteten vid trösklarna beror på metoden som använts för att bestämma trösklarna ur blodlaktatkurvan samt variationer i testprotokollet. Syfte: Att bedöma hur den finska metoden för att bestämma laktattrösklarna påverkas då ett testprotokoll med 5-minutersnivåer används istället för de rekommenderade 3-minutersnivåerna, samt att bedöma hur detta påverkar den maximala syreupptagningsförmågan. Metoder: Sju vältränade vuxna utförde två separata inkrementella träningstester, med 3-minuters- respektive 5-minutersnivåer. Laktattrösklarna bestämdes med hjälp av blodlaktatmätningar och enligt instruktionerna av the Finnish Society of Sport Sciences. Försökspersonernas gasutbyte loggades under hela testernas gång.  Resultat: Inga signifikanta skillnader fanns vid första laktattröskeln. Vid den andra laktattröskeln var puls, syreupptagning och laktatnivå samma för båda protokollen, medan löphastigheten var lägre (-0.81 ±0.81 km/h; p=0.037) för 5-minutersprotokollet jämfört med 3-minutersprotokollet. Båda protokollen resulterade i liknande maximalt syreupptag, men löphastigheten vid maximalt syreupptag var lägre (-1.07 ±0.89 km/h; p=0.015) vid 5-minutersprotokollet.  Slutsatser: Studien visade att nivåernas varaktighet inte påverkade laktatvärdet vid första eller andra laktattröskeln, men att en längre nivålängd påverkar arbetsintensiteten vid den andra laktattröskeln då den finska metoden för att bestämma trösklarna används. Eftersom arbetsintensiteten vid den andra laktattröskeln ofta används för att förutse uthållighetsprestation i tävlingssammanhang samt för att ordinera arbetsintensitet för uthållighetsträning kan studien bidra med en värdefull förståelse för individer som jobbar med uthållighetstester. De kan utnyttja denna förståelse både då de utvecklar testprotokoll och då de analyserar resultat från tröskeltester. I längden kan detta leda till noggrannare ordineringar vad gäller arbetsintensitet och därmed en snabbare utveckling bland uthållighetsidrottare. Ytterligare forskning med fler försökspersoner samt forskning för att validera den finska metoden för att bestämma laktattrösklar behövs.

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This work presents spirometric measurements on a group of volunteers. First of all the physiology of respiration is explained. Further the theory necessary for measurement and analysis of respiration parameters is mentioned. A separate chapter contains information about ventilation disorders with focus on obstructive diseases. The measurement methodology is described in the analysis section. The program developed for automatic spirometric signal analysis is described in the next section. Parameters obtained from the program are statistically analysed and compared for physiological and obstructive state. Changes, which the individual parameters represent in relation to the simulated obstruction, are discussed. The appendix section contains a report to be used for laboratory lessons together with the developed program.

No description available.

Title: Comparison of performance of pediatric patients with diagnosis of cystic fibrosis before and after a lung transplantation. Objectives: To compare selected parameters of pediatric patients as an index of physical condition in time before and 1 year after transplantation. To compare a group of patients that undergone longtherm intensive physiotherapeutic treatment before transplantation with group of patients that did not using spirometric parameters FVC, FEV1 and BMI. To compare subjective signs of dyspnea between these groups using selected questionnaires. Methods: This theses was attended by 15 probands (7 boys and 8 girls) in age between 12 and 18 years. The data were collected by using selected dyspnea questionares and by using hospital documentation files taking place at the Motol University Hospital. The data were statistically analysed using Jamovi programme, mostly using correlations and paired T- test, and graphically analysed by using MS Excel programme. Results: We found changes of spirometric parameters in the level of significance of p < 0,001 (FEV1) and p = 0,003 (FVC) after transplantation in comparison with time before transplantation. Group that undergone longtherm intensive physiotherapeutic treatment before lung transplantation showed more physiological spirometric values...

No description available.

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is recommended by guidelines for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. Portable in-office tests offer rural patients and providers information previously more difficult to obtain because of hospital closures, transportation barriers, and cost. This article describes the successful implementation and measurement of in-office PFT in 3 rural primary care offices. Providers were more likely to order a PFT for patients with asthma (33%) than a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9.7%). Recommendations include increased staff involvement and repeat education midimplementation.