Use of radioisotopes in the study of textile workers with byssinosis and chronic lung damage

Abstract

Vaskov, L. S. (1973).British Journal of Industrial Medicine,30, 37-41. Use of radioisotopes in the study of textile workers with byssinosis and chronic lung damage. A radioisotope method of measuring separately the circulation times for the pulmonary artery and pulmonary veins is described. Combined with pulmonary scintigraphy this method has been used to investigate textile workers with lung changes.

In the workers with no evidence of heart failure there was a prolongation of the pulmonary artery circulation time but no change in the pulmonary venous circulation time. In workers with signs of right heart failure there was a prolongation of right heart filling time as well as pulmonary artery circulation time but still no prolongation of the pulmonary venous circulation time. In this group the cardiac stroke volume was reduced but the output was maintained by a tachycardia. In spite of the prolonged pulmonary circulation time there was a reduction in pulmonary blood volume and poor perfusion on the scintigram.