Evaluation of workers exposed to dust containing hard metals and aluminum oxide.

BACKGROUND: Fourteen worker exposed to hard metals and aluminum oxide were evaluated. METHODS: Six heavily exposed workers underwent bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage, and five workers underwent transbronchial biopsy. RESULTS: Microchemical analysis of transbronchial biopsies showed a high lung burden of exogenous particles, especially metal related to their hard metals exposure. Lung tissue and cellular changes, which were associated with exposure to hard metal and aluminum oxide, corresponded well with the microanalytic test results. CONCLUSIONS: Three workers had at biopsy diffuse interstitial inflammatory changes: two of them were asymptomatic with normal chest X-ray films, and one had clinically evident disease with severe giant cell inflammation. Two other workers showed focal inflammation. The worker showing clinical disease and one asymptomatic worker with interstitial inflammatory changes had evaluated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid-eosinophilia counts. These two were father (with clinical disease) and son (asymptomatic).

Potato gun ocular injury.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify a dangerous new weapon capable of causing damage to the ocular and periocular regions. METHODS: The authors report two patients who had penetrating ocular injury in the past year because of homemade recreational potato guns. RESULTS: In one 14-year-old boy, projectiles from the firing of a potato gun resulted in orbital and cranial injuries that were life threatening with widespread fractures, marked disruption of facial structures, a cerebrospinal fluid fistula requiring bifrontal surgical repair, and loss of one eye. In a separate accident with a different potato gun, a 14-year-old boy who was wearing glasses at the time of injury had a sight-threatening perforating corneal laceration. CONCLUSION: Practitioners must be aware of the existence of these new, homemade unregulated devices. Information about the use and construction of these guns is widespread on the Internet, but no injuries resulting from these guns currently are documented in the medical literature.

Pulmonary fibrosis in aluminum oxide workers. Investigation of nine workers, with pathologic examination and microanalysis in three of them.

Epidemiologic surveys have indicated an excess of nonmalignant respiratory disease in workers exposed to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) during abrasives production. However, clinical, roentgenographic, histologic, and microanalytic description of these workers are lacking. This is a report of nine Al2O3-exposed workers with abnormal chest roentgenograms (profusion greater than or equal to 1/0, ILO/UC) from a plant engaged in the production of Al2O3 abrasives from alundum ore. Mean duration of exposure was 25 yr, and time since first exposure was 28 yr. in a subgroup of three, the severity of symptoms, reduction in the forced vital capacity (67% predicted) and diffusing capacity (51% predicted), and progressive roentgenographic changes (profusion greater than or equal to 2/2) prompted open lung biopsy. Lung tissue was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. In each of the three biopsies, interstitial fibrosis with honeycombing was seen on routine section. In one biopsy, silica and asbestos fiber counts were at the low end of the range seen with silicosis and asbestosis; however, the absence of asbestos bodies and silicotic nodules suggested that the fibrosis was due to another cause. Metals occurred in amounts several orders of magnitude above background, and the majority was aluminum as Al2O3 and aluminum alloys. The findings in these nine workers suggests a common exposure as the possible cause. The nonspecific pathologic findings, absence of asbestos bodies and silicotic nodules, and the striking number of aluminum-containing particles suggest that Al2O3 is that common exposure. The possibility of "mixed dust" fibrosis should also be considered.