Overview of Aluminum Pneumoconiosis
Aluminum pneumoconiosis is a type of pneumoconiosis caused by long-term inhalation of metallic aluminum powder or alumina dust. In the production environment and process, long-term inhalation of aluminum powder or alumina-containing dust, which stays in the body for a long time and deposits in the lung tissue leading to pulmonary fibrosis, is called aluminum pneumoconiosis. Aluminum is a silver-white light metal, widely used in aviation, building materials preparation, smelting aluminum, production of aluminum powder and other operations; metal aluminum powder is used in the manufacture of explosives, flame retardants, etc.; with alumina melted by the electric furnace into polycrystals can be made of abrasive powder and abrasive tools and so on. Workers in these industries can be exposed to aluminum powder or alumina dust and cause aluminum pneumoconiosis.
Causes
Lung lesions caused by long-term inhalation of metallic aluminum powder or alumina dust.
Symptoms
The disease develops over a long period of time, usually more than 10 to 15 years. Symptoms are rare and mild, in addition to shortness of breath, chest tightness and chest pain, there may also be a slight cough. Hemoptysis is rare. Tiredness and weakness are also relatively common. Due to the mechanical stimulation and chemical effects of aluminum dust, there is often chronic damage to the nasopharynx, manifested by nasal mucosal congestion, nasal dryness, turbinate hypertrophy, chronic pharyngeal congestion and inflammation. Early symptoms are usually mild, manifested as cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness with generalized weakness. In combination with bronchial and pulmonary infections, coughing and fever. Dry and wet rales are heard in the lungs. Early damage to lung function is mild, with obstructive or restrictive ventilatory dysfunction, and in the late stage, due to the reduction of lung volume, restrictive or mixed ventilatory dysfunction is predominant, accompanied by ventilation dysfunction, and in severe cases of recurrent intrapulmonary infections and death from respiratory failure.
Examination
1. Blood biochemical examination
Blood phosphorus is high, blood calcium is low.
2. Chest X-ray examination
Characteristic manifestations are mainly small irregular shadows (fine reticulation), accompanied by a number of coarse irregular shadows (coarse reticulation) and a few fine round-like shadows, with a diameter of 1-2 mm, without fusion of large shadows. In the early stage, the shadows are distributed in the middle and lower regions of both lungs, and later on, they are more obvious in the middle and upper lung regions, and relatively rare in the two lower lungs. As the disease progresses, the small shadows gather and merge into clusters. Lung texture is twisted and distorted. Pleura may be mildly adherent and hypertrophied, and emphysematous changes are more common. Pulmonary function tests are mostly dominated by obstructive ventilation disorders, followed by a mixed pattern.
Diagnosis
1. The patient has an occupational history of long-term exposure to aluminum powder or alumina dust.
2. The patient’s clinical manifestations are characterized by the following:
(1) Symptoms may include mild cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Signs are not obvious in the early stage.
(2) Chest X-ray: small irregular shadows can be seen, and small round-like shadows can also be seen, which are often distributed in the middle and lower regions of both lungs, and can also be distributed throughout the lungs in case of increase.
3. According to the national diagnostic standard GB5906-86, the diagnosis and staging should be based on the patient’s occupational history and clinical manifestations.
Complications
In the late stage, it is combined with emphysema, lung infection or tuberculosis.
Treatment
1. Causative treatment
Get rid of the dusty working environment.
2.Symptomatic treatment
Treat according to the symptoms.
Prognosis
Prognosis is generally good.