Risk Factors for Developing Complications

Risk Factors for Developing Complications

Patients with pneumoconiosis often develop complications like severe lung disease and cancer. Some factors that increase the risk of complications in the common pneumoconioses include -


Silicosis

• Type of dust - Freshly fractured silica or mixture of silica with clay increases the risk of silicosis
• Peak exposures
• Individual susceptibility to silicosis
• Smoking - Smoking may increase a silicosis patient's risk for cancer

Coal worker's pneumoconiosis

• Carbon content of the dust - Development of fibrosis of the lung in coal worker's pneumoconiosis is more common with anthracite than bituminous dust.
• Smoking - Smoking adds to the lung damage caused by coal worker's pneumoconiosis
• Proportion of silica in the coal dust
• Intensity of the exposure
• Age of the patient
• The patient's immunity
• Presence of tuberculosis in the patient

Asbestosis

• Smoking - Smoking increases the risk of cancer in asbestosis patients.
• Intensity of exposure
• Type of dust

References:

1. Chong S, Lee KS, Chung MJ, Han J, Kwon OJ, Kim TS. Pneumoconiosis: Comparison of Imaging and Pathologic Findings. Radiographics 2006; 26 (1): 51-78.
2. Harrison�s Principles of Internal Medicine 17^th edition
3. Castranova V and Vallyathan V. Silicosis and Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Environmental Health Perspectives 2000; 108 (4): 675-684
4. Ross MH and Murray J. Occupational respiratory disease in mining. Occupational Medicine 2004;54:304�310

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