ABSTRACT:

Context: Airway diseases are commonly encountered with people exposed to dust constantly, which over a period of time may affect lung function.

Objective: To study the lung function profile in asymptomatic sugarcane industry workers to find out airway diseases if any, and their correlation with duration of exposure to the dust.

Design: The pulmonary function tests were studied with MEDSPIROR, in age matched sugar factory male workers exposed to sugarcane dust (n=95), and normal healthy controls (n=100) from Marathwada region of Maharashtra, during years 2009 to 2010. The cases and controls were chosen upon detailed history. Cases and controls were divided in 3 groups namely 15 to 25 years, 26 to 35 years and more than 35 years to study various parameters like FVC, PEFR, FEF 25 – 75, FEV1 % & MVV among cases compared with age matched controls. Another distribution was done according to the duration of exposure amongst the cases 1-4 years n=48, 5 – 9 years n-25 and > 9 years n=22.

Main outcome of the study: Lung functions were found to be reduced in all cases as indicated by different parameters of PFT .

Results: A highly significant decrease in FVC and PEFR in all age groups, even MVV and FEF 25 – 75 showed a highly significant decline in first two groups and a significant decline in the third. There was a non significant increase in FEV1 % in the first two groups whereas a non-significant decline in cases above 35 years when compared with age matched controls. There was a highly significant decline in FVC amongst the cases when compared with increasing duration of exposure, although other parameters also showed a non significant decline.

Conclusion: It may be concluded that the decline in PFT parameters in all the age groups is suggestive of restrictive and obstructive changes and with predominance of parenchymatous lesions when exposed to mouldy bagasse for longer duration

Keywords: Pulmonary function tests, Bagassosis, Airway disease

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