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Biomedical subjects

J A Merchant

Publications and source records attributed to J A Merchant.

79 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory symptoms and lung function among workers in swine confinement buildings: a cross-sectional epidemiological study.

To study possible chronic respiratory problems of people working in swine confinement buildings, a cross-sectional epidemiological study was initiated. A cohort of swine confinement workers was matched for age, sex, and smoking history with nonconfinement swine producers. Pulmonary function studies and a survey questionnaire for chronic respiratory disease symptoms (the American Thoracic Society, Epidemiologic Standardization Project Questionnaire) were performed on both groups. Compared to controls, the confinement workers experienced significantly higher prevalence of chronic bronchitis and wheezing, (odds ratio 7 and 4, respectively). There were, however, no significant differences in baseline pulmonary functions. Based on the high prevalence of chronic respiratory disease symptoms, this study emphasizes an emerging occupational concern in agriculture to the estimated 500,000 persons working in swine confinement operations and the estimated 500,000 additional persons who work in poultry, veal, beef, or dairy confinement operations. It is important to study a representative population of these workers prospectively to determine if a progressive loss in lung function is evident.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Self-reported postwar injuries among Gulf War veterans.

OBJECTIVE: From September 1995 to May 1996, the authors conducted a telephone survey of Iowa military personnel who had served in the regular military or activated National Guard or Reserve during the Gulf War period. To assess the association between military service in a combat zone and subsequent traumatic injury requiring medical consultation, the authors analyzed veterans' interview responses. METHODS: Using data from the larger survey, the authors compared rates of self-reported postwar injuries requiring medical consultation in a sample of Iowa Gulf War veterans to the rates in a sample of Iowa military personnel who served at the same time, but not in the Persian Gulf. RESULTS: Of 3695 veterans, 605 (16%) reported a traumatic injury in the previous three months requiring medical consultation. Self-reported injuries were associated with service in the Persian Gulf (odds ratio 1.26; 95% confidence interval 1.02, 1.55). CONCLUSION: This finding is consistent with the results of earlier studies of traumatic injury mortality rates among war veterans.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Agricultural injuries.

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Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Agricultural exposures to organic dusts.

Occupational respiratory hazards in agriculture are varied and widespread, and farm workers have been found to have high rates of respiratory disability compared with other industrial sectors. The common denominator in most agricultural exposures is organic dust. The author reviews agricultural respiratory syndromes and their diseases, including acute febrile syndromes, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and chronic bronchitis and airway obstruction.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗