1. 2nd Eurasian Respiratory & Allergy Summit.
CHRONIC RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND COPD IN WORKERS OF METALLURGY INDUSTRY   Prof. Dr. Silvana Bala *University Hospital for Pulmonary Disease Tirana-Albania
2nd Eurasian Respiratory & Allergy Summit.
21-24 September Budva

2. OVERALL OBJECTIVE
TO ASSESS THE PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF COPD, TO ASSESS THE PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS, AND TO PUT INTO EVIDENCE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE RISK FACTORS OF WORKPLACE AREA, PARTICULARLY THE AIR POLLUTION OF THE WORKING ENVINRONMENT FROM DUSTS AND FUMES, TO THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF COPD

3. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
EVALUATION OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL AREA AND POSSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPING COPD
EVALUATION OF THE MARKERS OF HEALTH EFFECTS (RESPIRATORY FUNCTION: FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC,
FEF , PEF, VC)
EVALUATION OF COPD PREVALENCE
EVALUATION OF PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF SEVERITY OF COPD

4. METHODS
IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY ARE INCLUDED 90% OF WORKERS EMPLOYED IN ALBANIAN HEAVY INDUSTRY
SPIROMETER IS CALIBRATED ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL RULES OF QUALITY CONTROL
THREE CONSECUTIVE MEASUREMENTS OF PULMONARY FUNCTION WERE CARRIED OUT FOR EACH SUBJECT AND TWO OF THE BEST RESULTS WERE ACCEPTED, WHICH DIFFERENCE DID NOT PASS 200 ml
STATISTICAL PROCESSING WAS CARRIED OUT USING SPSS 15 PROGRAMMES
A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTRATED TO RECORD DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, SMOKING HABIT AND CURRENT RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS

5. RISK FACTORS for COPD EXPOSURE:
Air pollution of environmental area by PM 10, SO2 and other gases and fumes.
Smoking habit
Socioeconomic status
Infections
HOST FACTORS:
GENES (e.g.alpha1-antitripsin deficiency).
Hyper responsiveness
Lung Growth

6. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AIR POLLUTION OF OCCUPATIONAL AREA AND POSSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPING COPD
Enterprises
Relative risk
C.I 95%
Iron steel production
Iron steel processing
Ferrochrome production
5.51
2.09
4.08
3.98 – 6.73
1.71 – 2.95
3.11 – 5.88

7. PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS IN WORKERS OF IRON STEEL PRODUCTION
PREVALENCE in %
Chronic cough
40.09
Chronic phlegm
33.87
Wheezing and whistling
20.21
Breathlessness
13.15
Dyspnea in efforts
32.79

8. PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS IN WORKERS OF FERROCHROME PRODUCTION
SYMPTOMS
PREVALENCE
Chronic cough
25. 00%
Chronic phlegm
28.08%
Wheezing and whistling
12.02%
Breathlessness
Dyspnea in efforts
22.53%

10. PREVALENCE OF COPD NUMBER OF WORKERS ENTERPRISES CASES PREVALENCE %
Iron Steel Production
183 47
25.68
Iron Steel Processing
143 29
20.28
Ferrochrome Production
133 26
19.55

11. PREVALENCE OF COPD AFTER STRATIFING BASED ON EXPOSURE IN WORKERS OF IRON STEEL PRODUCTION
Process of
the work
Number of workers
COPD
Cases Prevalence %
Smelters 59
Furnace workers 24
Casters 22
Workers far off 61
Administrative staff 17
Enterprise in general
183

12. PREVALENCE OF COPD AFTER STRATIFING BASED ON EXPOSURE IN WORKERS OF FERROCHROME PRODUCTION
Process of the work
Number of workers
COPD
Cases Prevalence %
Smelters 48
Casters 28
Workers far off 24
Administrative staff 16
Row materials workers 17
Enterprise in general
133

13. PREVALENCE OF COPD AFTER STRATIFING BASED ON AGE IN IRON STEEL WORKERS
Age groups
yrs
Number of workers
COPD
Cases % 12 46 95
> 50 30

14. PREVALENCE OF COPD AFTER STRATIFING BASED ON AGE IN FERROCHROME WORKERS
Age groups
yrs
Number of workers
COPD
Cases % 8 45 59
> 50 21

15. PREVALENCE OF COPD BASED ON SMOKING HABITS IN IRON STEEL WORKERS
Smoking status
Number of workers
COPD cases
COPD %
Non smokers
Ex smokers
Actual smokers 76 23 84 17 5 25
22.36
21.74
29.76

16. PREVALENCE OF COPD BASED ON SMOKING HABITS IN FERROCHROME WORKERS
Smoking status
Number of workers
COPD cases
COPD %
Non smokers
Ex smokers
Actual smokers 59 14 60 10 2 15
16.95
14.28
25.00

20. SEVERITY OF COPD FOR IRON STEEL WORKERS
STAGE %
0. At risk
1. Mild COPD
2. Moderate COPD
3. Severe COPD
4. Very severe COPD
8.74
1.63
16.39
6.01

21. SEVERITY OF COPD FOR FERROCHROME WORKERS
STAGE %
0. At risk
1. Mild COPD
2. Moderate COPD
3. Severe COPD
4.Very severe COPD
5.26
0.75
14.20
3.00
1.50

22. CONCLUSIONS
THE PREVALENCE OF COPD ACCORDING TO THIS STUDY IS HIGH AND VARIED FROM – 26.65%, AND AFTER STRATIFYING ACCORDING TO THE EXPOSURE IT WAS OSHCILLATED FROM – 42.37%
THE HIGHEST PREVALENCE OF SYMPTOMS IS DUE CHRONIC COUGH AND THE LOWEST TO THE DYSPNEA ATTACKS
THE SEVERITY OF COPD RESULTED FROM THIS SURVEY WAS MILD COPD %, MODERATE COPD %, SEVERE COPD %, AND VERY SEVERE COPD 0.00 – 1.63%
AT RISK ARE % OF THE WORKERS
PREVALENCE OF COPD IS HIGHER IN SMOKING PERSONS, BUT IT WAS RESULTED HIGH AND IN NON SMOKING PERSONS