Abstract
The authors recently reported that analysis of induced sputum may reveal the status of hazardous dust exposure (e.g., silica, hard metals) as effectively as does bronchoalveolar lavage. In the current study, the authors describe how induced sputum can assist in the evaluation and diagnosis of suspected occupational lung diseases. The 3 patients who underwent induced sputum testing included a miner with silicosis, a dental technician with berylliosis, and a teacher who suffered from undefined interstitial fibrosis and in whom induced sputum analysis revealed the presence of a high burden of calcium sulfate and silica. The data reported indicate that induced sputum-a known safe and simple procedure-can serve as a useful tool in the evaluation of patients with suspected occupational lung diseases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 284-289 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Archives of Environmental Health |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - 1 May 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Berylliosis
- Bronchoalveolar lavage
- Induced sputum
- Interstitial fibrosis
- Occupational lung disease
- Silicosis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- General Environmental Science
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
