TY - JOUR T1 - The prevalence of silicosis in dental prosthetic technicians working in Kahramanmras City JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P4022 AU - Hasan Kahraman AU - Muge Cinkara AU - Nurhan Koksal AU - Fuat Ozkan AU - Hasan Ekerbicer Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P4022.abstract N2 - Objective: The aim of our study is to determine, the presence and the frequency of occupational silicosis in dental prosthesis technicians in Kahramanmaras.Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was administered to participants prepared by the Turkish Thoracic Society for occupational and enviromental lung diseases, physical examination was performed, PFT were measured, and HRCT was taken. The resulting images were evaluated independently by three readers. When at least two report as pathologic, cases were accepted as silicosis.Result: Technicians involving the study were 82, 80 of them were male (97.5 %). The mean age was 30.9 ±8.5; the mean pack- year of smoking was 12.4±13.8, the mean working period was 15.8±8.7 years. In 7 abnormal respiratory examination findings were detected. During working, 24 (29.3%) continuously, 21 (25.6%) never, 37 (45.1%) occasionally used the mask. No statistically significant difference was found between the mask usage and HRCT findings of silicosis (p>0.05) and between the symptoms in workplace and the duration of working period (p>0.05). PFT of employees were evaluated as normal. In evaluation of HRCT, 51 (62.2%) had normal and 19 (23.2%) had radiology compatible with silicosis. The localizations of the radiological involvement were determined; only upper lobes in 12 (63.2%), only the lower lobes in 1 (5.3%), upper and middle lobes in 3 (15.8%), upper and lower lobes in 2 (10.5%) and together with the upper, middle and lower lobes in 1 (5.3%) person.Conclusion: This study showed that dental prosthesis technicians have high risk for catching silicosis. ER -