TY - JOUR T1 - Asbestos exposure,a still present issue for occupational physicians JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - P4547 AU - Agripina Rascu AU - Oana Arghir AU - Catrinel Ciuca AU - Diana Deaconu AU - Sinziana Muraru Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P4547.abstract N2 - Background:Asbestos(A) represents the first cause of death in occupational diseases(except the work accidents).Aim:In 2013 we began a retrospective study including patients exposed to A-fibres, workers for an A-cement plant in the southern part of the country and evaluated at Colentina Hospital,Occupational Medicine.Materials and Methods:The study included 163 former A-cement workers (M/F=1:1)evaluated from 2011 until 2014.The average age was 56,28 yrs.Complete employment history, occupational exposure to A and other risk factors were collected.A-exposure was ascertained as yrs of exposure (TE), an index of cumulative work period and latency time (TL).Average TE was 18,72 yrs, average TL was 35,32 yrs.The evaluation included respiratory symptoms questionnaires,spirometry,chest x-ray,the alveolar capillary gas transfer(DLCO).Results:27 patients had no signs of pleuro-pulmonary disease,136 had various forms of A-related diseases.Among the affected group,122 patients were diagnosed with asbestosis,30 of them having associated pleural plaques,8 patients had only pleural plaques,6 of them had malignant pathology.43,55% had normal spirometry,23,9% showed restrictive pulmonary disease,22,08% displayed mixed pulmonary dysfunction.The decrease of DLCO was present in all subjects with asbestosis.Conclusions:Occupational exposure in the A-cement industry was a risk factor for lung function decline,but decline of pulmonary volumes could not be correlated with the x-ray signs in all cases,this contradicts literature's data[Belayneh Abejie,J.Occ.Med&Toxicology,2010].We found a good correlation with the TE to A.We highlighted that there are correlations between x-ray changes (ILO pneumoconiosis guidelines) and DLCO decrease. ER -