Abstract
Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP) is the primary occupational disease in China. However, information about the definite prevalence of CWP is only partially available. The aims of our study were to assess the prevalence characteristics of CWP in a state-owned coal mine, evaluate the effects of control measures and develop further preventive strategies for CWP. The total study population included 495 cases who were diagnosed with CWP from the construction of this coal mine to the end of October 2014. Individuals’ information, including duration of dust exposure, job titles, age as first diagnosis, stages of CWP, CWP progress, complications with pulmonary tuberculosis, death and others were collected and analyzed. The results showed that 71.11% of 495 CWP cases were stage I and 90.71% were involved in tunneling or coal mining. The mean dust exposure period in CWP patients was 26.7 years, the mean latent period was 29.3 years and the mean diagnosed age was 50.3 years old. The proportion of CWP diagnosed after ending dust exposure were remarkably increased with the time passing. Among the CWP cases, 36 (7.27%) were complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis. The mortality of patients with stage III was the highest (60.71%) (p < 0.0001). Our data obviously show that more strict policies to protect coal miners are needed to be implemented in China, especially for tunneling and mining workers.
Highlights
Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) is the most serious occupational disease occurring in underground coal miners
Data from the official website of the China National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control showed that 23,152 new cases were diagnosed with pneumoconiosis in 2013, of which 13,955 (60.28%) had Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP) and 8,095 (34.96%) had silicosis, that is, CWP accounted for approximately 50% of the total new cases of pneumoconiosis in China
The full-sized chest X-ray with good quality was performed for reconfirming the diagnoses of CWP based on the China National Diagnostic Criteria for Pneumoconiosis [9], which are the same as the 1980 International Labor Organization (ILO)
Summary
Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) is the most serious occupational disease occurring in underground coal miners. CWP is an irreversible disease, characterized by inflammation and development of progressive pulmonary fibrosis, which can eventually lead to respiratory failure and no effective treatment for silicosis has been identified to date [2,3]. China is one of the world countries with the most cases of pneumoconiosis, dust exposed population and new cases annually [4,5], which accounted for 87.72% of all reported occupational diseases in 2013. The incidence of CWP for coal miners has been low because of the use of effective dust control measurements [6]. In the developing countries, the incidence of CWP is still at high levels, especially in China [7]. In order to take efficient measures to prevent and control the occurence of CWP, we should explore the prevalence characteristics of CWP, for instance, duration of dust exposure, stages of CWP, job titles, duration of the interphase of CWP progress, complications, etc
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