Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard
IntroductionOccupational risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD) are a remediable aspect of this progressive pulmonary disorder. The association between firefighting and ILD is unknown. Our objective was to assess the characteristics of firefighters with ILD from a large single-center ILD r...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.864658/full |
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| author | Cathryn T. Lee Iazsmin Bauer Ventura E. Kate Phillips Amy Leahy Renea Jablonski Steven Montner Jonathan H. Chung Rekha Vij Ayodeji Adegunsoye Mary E. Strek |
| author_facet | Cathryn T. Lee Iazsmin Bauer Ventura E. Kate Phillips Amy Leahy Renea Jablonski Steven Montner Jonathan H. Chung Rekha Vij Ayodeji Adegunsoye Mary E. Strek |
| author_sort | Cathryn T. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionOccupational risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD) are a remediable aspect of this progressive pulmonary disorder. The association between firefighting and ILD is unknown. Our objective was to assess the characteristics of firefighters with ILD from a large single-center ILD registry.MethodsThe University of Chicago ILD database was reviewed for patients with a history of firefighting. Clinical information was abstracted from the medical record. The prevalence rate ratio of firefighters in the database compared to the baseline prevalence of firefighting in the Chicago metropolitan area was calculated via the Poisson distribution.ResultsNineteen firefighters were identified; all were men. A variety of ILD subtypes were seen across the cohort, including four patients with a diagnosis of connective tissue disease. Patients had mild forced vital capacity (FVC) and moderate diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) decrements on presentation; three patients died and two received lung transplantation over an average follow-up time of 76 months. Firefighters were seen at a greater proportion in the ILD registry than in the general population with a prevalence rate ratio of 3.98.ConclusionsFirefighting was overrepresented in our cohort compared to the general population, suggesting that there may be a causative association between firefighting and the presence of ILD. The wide variety of ILD subtypes observed suggest that all ILD patients should be asked about their occupational history. Further investigation to identify occupational exposures and determine the benefit of remediation is needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:24:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca140e51922c474d93610c88897ef91c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T20:24:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca140e51922c474d93610c88897ef91c2022-12-21T23:32:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2022-03-01910.3389/fmed.2022.864658864658Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational HazardCathryn T. Lee0Iazsmin Bauer Ventura1E. Kate Phillips2Amy Leahy3Renea Jablonski4Steven Montner5Jonathan H. Chung6Rekha Vij7Ayodeji Adegunsoye8Mary E. Strek9Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Thoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Thoracic Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesSection of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United StatesIntroductionOccupational risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD) are a remediable aspect of this progressive pulmonary disorder. The association between firefighting and ILD is unknown. Our objective was to assess the characteristics of firefighters with ILD from a large single-center ILD registry.MethodsThe University of Chicago ILD database was reviewed for patients with a history of firefighting. Clinical information was abstracted from the medical record. The prevalence rate ratio of firefighters in the database compared to the baseline prevalence of firefighting in the Chicago metropolitan area was calculated via the Poisson distribution.ResultsNineteen firefighters were identified; all were men. A variety of ILD subtypes were seen across the cohort, including four patients with a diagnosis of connective tissue disease. Patients had mild forced vital capacity (FVC) and moderate diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) decrements on presentation; three patients died and two received lung transplantation over an average follow-up time of 76 months. Firefighters were seen at a greater proportion in the ILD registry than in the general population with a prevalence rate ratio of 3.98.ConclusionsFirefighting was overrepresented in our cohort compared to the general population, suggesting that there may be a causative association between firefighting and the presence of ILD. The wide variety of ILD subtypes observed suggest that all ILD patients should be asked about their occupational history. Further investigation to identify occupational exposures and determine the benefit of remediation is needed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.864658/fullinterstitial lung diseaseoccupational exposurefirefightinginterstitial lung disease riskcase series |
| spellingShingle | Cathryn T. Lee Iazsmin Bauer Ventura E. Kate Phillips Amy Leahy Renea Jablonski Steven Montner Jonathan H. Chung Rekha Vij Ayodeji Adegunsoye Mary E. Strek Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard Frontiers in Medicine interstitial lung disease occupational exposure firefighting interstitial lung disease risk case series |
| title | Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard |
| title_full | Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard |
| title_fullStr | Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard |
| title_short | Interstitial Lung Disease in Firefighters: An Emerging Occupational Hazard |
| title_sort | interstitial lung disease in firefighters an emerging occupational hazard |
| topic | interstitial lung disease occupational exposure firefighting interstitial lung disease risk case series |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.864658/full |
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