Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) and Spirometry as Indicators of Inhalation Exposure to Chemical Agents in Pathology Workers.

Suzuki, Ritsuko Arakawa; Irokawa, Toshiya; Ogawa, Hiromasa; Ohkouchi, Shinya; Tabata, Masao; Togashi, Susumu; Nakamura, Takeshi; Ohisa, Noriko et al. · J Occup Environ Med · 2017

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine whether fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and spirometry can be used as indices to evaluate adverse health effects of low-concentrated chemical inhalation exposure, mainly to formaldehyde. Thirty-three subjects (pathology technicians) and 30 controls (workers without handling any chemicals in the same hospitals) participated in this study. All participants underwent FeNO measurement and spirometry before and after 5 days of work. FeNO significantly increased in the subjects with a history of asthma (P < 0.05), whereas forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) decreased in the subjects (P < 0.05). Furthermore, work duration and pre-work levels of FEV1 in the subjects had a significant association. The results suggest that FeNO, FVC, and FEV1 represent effective health-effect indices of low-concentrated chemical inhalation exposure.

Medical subject headings