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Respiratory symptoms and alterations in pulmonary function tests in swine producers in Saskatchewan: results of a survey of farmers.
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1988
Year
AsthmaNutritionRespiratory Health QuestionnaireSwine ProducersAgricultural EconomicsEducationEnvironmental HealthRespiratory DysfunctionAnimal PhysiologyAllergyAnimal NutritionAnimal ManagementAnimal Health EconomicsPorcine DiseasePulmonary MedicinePulmonary Function TestsAnimal ScienceAnimal HealthVeterinary ScienceAnimal Disease PreventionMedicineRespiratory Symptoms
To determine whether farmers who produced swine in animal confinement chambers in Saskatchewan were at increased risk of developing respiratory dysfunction, we carried out a respiratory health questionnaire and spirometric pulmonary function test measurements, including forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (FEV1/FVC x 100), on 504 farmers who indicated that they raised swine, and 448 rural-dwelling nonfarming control subjects. Swine producers had lower values for FVC and FEV1 than did the control subjects. However, FEV1/FVC x 100 was somewhat higher in the swine producers. The reduction in FEV1 with retained FEV1/FVC ratio is suggestive of restrictive disease. However, the fact that the FEV1/FVC ratio is only modestly higher in swine producers than in control subjects suggests that there may be a mixed restrictive/obstructive condition in these workers.