Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Industrial Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Industrial Medicine
. 1986 Sep;43(9):587–591. doi: 10.1136/oem.43.9.587

Symptoms and longitudinal changes in lung function in young seasonal grain handlers.

A L James, W O Cookson, G Buters, S Lewis, G Ryan, R Hockey, A W Musk
PMCID: PMC1007716  PMID: 3756108

Abstract

A total of 119 seasonal grain handlers (mean age 23) were assessed before and towards the end (mean work period 18 days) of the 1983 Western Australian grain harvest to determine if respiratory symptoms that occur with exposure to grain dust are associated with changes in ventilatory capacity or non-specific bronchial reactivity to methacholine. Eighteen per cent of subjects had wheeze, breathlessness, or chest tightness and 18% had cough or sputum production at work. Subjects complaining of wheeze, chest tightness, or breathlessness at work had a significantly greater decline in FEV1 than subjects who did not experience these symptoms (p less than 0.05). Symptoms were not associated with changes in bronchial reactivity. In young grain handlers who develop respiratory symptoms on short term exposure to grain dust changes in FEV1 but not in non-specific bronchial reactivity have been demonstrated.

Full text

PDF
590

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Broder I., Davies G., Hutcheon M., Leznoff A., Mintz S., Thomas P., Corey P. Variables of pulmonary allergy and inflammation in grain elevator workers. J Occup Med. 1983 Jan;25(1):43–47. doi: 10.1097/00043764-198301000-00014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chan-Yeung M., Schulzer M., MacLean L., Dorken E., Grzybowski S. Epidemiologic health survey of grain elevator workers in British Columbia. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Feb;121(2):329–338. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.121.2.329. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chan-Yeung M., Wong R., MacLean L. Respiratory abnormalities among grain elevator workers. Chest. 1979 Apr;75(4):461–467. doi: 10.1378/chest.75.4.461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cookson W. O., Ryan G., MacDonald S., Musk A. W. Atopy, non-allergic bronchial reactivity, and past history as determinants of work related symptoms in seasonal grain handlers. Br J Ind Med. 1986 Jun;43(6):396–400. doi: 10.1136/oem.43.6.396. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Corey P., Hutcheon M., Broder I., Mintz S. Grain elevator workers show work-related pulmonary function changes and dose-effect relationships with dust exposure. Br J Ind Med. 1982 Nov;39(4):330–337. doi: 10.1136/oem.39.4.330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cotton D. J., Graham B. L., Li K. Y., Froh F., Barnett G. D., Dosman J. A. Effects of grain dust exposure and smoking on respiratory symptoms and lung function. J Occup Med. 1983 Feb;25(2):131–141. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DoPico G. A., Reddan W., Flaherty D., Tsiatis A., Peters M. E., Rao P., Rankin J. Respiratory abnormalities among grain handlers: a clinical, physiologic, and immunologic study. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1977 Jun;115(6):915–927. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1977.115.6.915. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dosman J. A., Cotton D. J., Graham B. L., Li K. Y., Froh F., Barnett G. D. Chronic bronchitis and decreased forced expiratory flow rates in lifetime nonsmoking grain workers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Jan;121(1):11–16. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.121.1.11. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gerrard J. W., Mink J., Cheung S. S., Tan L. K., Dosman J. A. Nonsmoking grain handlers in Saskatchewan: airways reactivity and allergic status. J Occup Med. 1979 May;21(5):342–346. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mink J. T., Gerrard J. W., Cockcroft D. W., Cotton D. J., Dosman J. A. Increased bronchial reactivity to inhaled histamine in nonsmoking grain workers with normal lung function. Chest. 1980 Jan;77(1):28–31. doi: 10.1378/chest.77.1.28. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ryan G., Dolovich M. B., Roberts R. S., Frith P. A., Juniper E. F., Hargreave F. E., Newhouse M. T. Standardization of inhalation provocation tests: two techniques of aerosol generation and inhalation compared. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Feb;123(2):195–199. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.2.195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. SKOULAS A., WILLIAMS N., MERRIMAN J. E. EXPOSURE TO GRAIN DUST. II. A CLINICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECTS. J Occup Med. 1964 Sep;6:359–372. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Soter N. A., Wasserman S. I., Austen K. F. Cold urticaria: release into the circulation of histamine and eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis during cold challenge. N Engl J Med. 1976 Mar 25;294(13):687–690. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197603252941302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. WILLIAMS N., SKOULAS A., MERRIMAN J. E. EXPOSURE TO GRAIN DUST. I. A SURVEY OF THE EFFECTS. J Occup Med. 1964 Aug;6:319–329. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Warren C. P., Manfreda J. Respiratory symptoms in Manitoba farmers: association with grain and hay handling. Can Med Assoc J. 1980 Jun 7;122(11):1259–1264. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Yan K., Salome C., Woolcock A. J. Rapid method for measurement of bronchial responsiveness. Thorax. 1983 Oct;38(10):760–765. doi: 10.1136/thx.38.10.760. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Industrial Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES