Occupational Disorders of the Lung, 1e [Hardcover]

David Hendrick MSC MD FRCP FFOM (Author), William Beckett (Author), P. Sherwood Burge MSc MD FRCP FFOM DIH (Author), Andrew Churg (Author), Sherwood Burge (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0702025070 | ISBN-13: 978-0702025075 | Publication Date: May 15, 2002

A comprehensive practical resource covering recognition and management of occupational lung disorders. This book is carefully structured to provide the reader with as accessible a text as possible. 'Difficult Cases' provided by leading specialists highlight clinical issues whilst summary boxes facilitate retrieval of key points. Occupational Disorders of the Lung is schematised to present the reader with the main diseases and their industry related disorders. Finally the issues of legislation and information are addressed. This book, written by leading specialists in a new and exciting format, will prove an invaluable addition on any Respiratory Medicine specialist's bookshelf.

Editorial Reviews

From The New England Journal of Medicine

Occupational disorders are common, but clinicians who can recognize and manage them are not. Recent headlines reminded us of this gap in medical education, as we struggled to cope with outbreaks of anthrax in postal workers and cough in firefighters at the site of the World Trade Center. Occupational illnesses are preventable, yet few physicians know that they are in a prime position to initiate their prevention. If a single case of occupational disease is viewed as a "sentinel health event," it can trigger action to reduce exposure and improve conditions in the workplace. Sadly, the burden of occupational lung disorders continues to increase worldwide. We still see (and underdiagnose) preventable work-related silicosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, and tuberculosis. Moreover, there is an increasing array of "new" work-related lung conditions -- the byproducts of 100 years of modern industry. For example, there are now more than 250 known causes of occupational asthma. Bacteria, molds, and other biologic aerosols trigger building-related illnesses in tightly sealed offices and homes. Some metals, fibers, and chemicals cause lung cancer. The causes of seemingly "idiopathic" lung conditions, from asthma and bronchiolitis to interstitial lung disease, lurk in the occupational environment. This book is a breath of fresh air for clinicians who want to learn how to detect and manage such lung disorders. In addition to authoritative facts and references, each chapter presents "difficult cases" that illustrate challenges for diagnosis and treatment. These case studies -- and sometimes the differences of opinion expressed by various coauthors -- make the book readable and practical. The authors have not avoided the shades of gray that physicians encounter every day as they struggle to make the causal link between disease and environment. The ongoing discovery of new syndromes that connect workplace exposure with lung disease makes it difficult for most textbooks on occupational health to keep pace. Recognizing that textbooks no longer stand alone, the authors provide us with a useful guide to other sources of information and specialized centers that can help investigate occupational lung problems. Thus, although the authors might not have anticipated that work-related anthrax would merit more than a page of coverage, or that a million workers in defense industries, alloy machining, and recycling in the United States would be found to be at risk for chronic beryllium disease, their textbook compensates by directing the reader to sources of more up-to-date information and field assistance. Occupational medicine may be practiced in the clinic, but occupational health must be practiced in the agricultural or industrial field. Reflecting this dichotomy is a series of chapters that describe particular industries, such as chemical and plastic manufacturing, health care, farming, and mining. By reading about the respiratory hazards associated with work processes used in the automotive industry, a clinician can see that the differential diagnosis in a machinist with chronic cough must include occupational causes of asthma, bronchitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Physicians cannot practice occupational medicine alone. If occupational lung disorders are to be prevented, the suspicion that an occupational illness has occurred must be brought to the attention of persons in the workplace who can take steps to reduce exposure to hazardous materials. This book draws attention to the need for a multidisciplinary approach, involving a team that includes not only the clinician who spots the sentinel case, but also the industrial hygienists who measure exposure in the workplace, specialists in occupational medicine, members of corporate management, representatives of organized labor, employees, and government regulators. This book outlines the elements of programs of occupational safety and health and the principles of prevention used by multidisciplinary teams in the workplace. Teaching the complex, interactive process that improves the health of workers is beyond the scope of this book. However, the authors have laid the foundation nicely by showing how physicians who identify inhalation hazards can initiate the design and implementation of preventive measures for use in the workplace. The editors have assembled a strong, international team of authors who provide a broad view of the field. This international flavor comes across in the discussion of challenging clinical cases. In chapters that summarize compensation systems and legislation designed to limit occupational exposure to hazardous substances in North America, the Pacific, the Far East, Australia, and western Europe, the authors imply that most countries are promoting workers' health. Unfortunately, this section of the book seems too optimistic and naive. The methyl-isocyanate disaster in Bhopal, India, the sweatshops of Asia, and the continuing worldwide epidemic of silicosis are emblematic of the broad public health problem facing occupational medicine. In a global economy, corporations move hazardous activities offshore to reduce costs. The health of workers and communities is often sacrificed on the altar of economic growth and corporate profit. Many less developed nations still neglect workers' health and safety. To their credit, the authors of this book have begun to put international occupational lung disease on the public health map. Interested readers can use this book as a starting point, looking elsewhere for help in estimating the scope of the problem. Hendrick et al. have created an innovative book that succeeds on many levels. It will provide practitioners with the content and context they need to make a difference in detecting and managing occupational respiratory illness. Lee S. Newman, M.D.
Copyright © 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.

Review

"a breath of fresh air....an innovative book ... readable and practical". - NEJM

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 638 pages
• Publisher: Saunders Ltd. (May 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0702025070
• ISBN-13: 978-0702025075
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,962,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)