| Disease/Syndrome |
Coal workers, pneumoconiosis of |
|---|
| Category |
Interstitial Lung Disease |
|---|
| Acute/Chronic |
Chronic |
|---|
| Synonyms |
Coal workers' pneumoconiosis; CWP; Simple CWP; Black lung; Anthracosis; Miners' asthma |
|---|
| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
|---|
| Comments |
Simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is defined by the presence of small lung opacities that develop after at least ten years of exposure to coal dust. The disease is rarely seen in miners who have spent less than 20 years underground. Workers are often asymptomatic with normal pulmonary function studies. Chest x-ray findings resemble those of simple silicosis. Studies of miners with simple CWP have not shown increased mortality rates. [LaDou, p. 328-9] [Harber, p. 365] [Rosenstock, p. 1082] Approximately 3% of the currently employed underground coal miners in the US have evidence of CWP by chest x-ray compared to 33% in 1970. [PMID 16169911] |
|---|
| Latency/Incubation |
". . . rarely seen in those who have spent less than 20 years underground." [LaDou, p. 339] |
|---|
| Diagnostic |
Chest x-ray |
|---|
| ICD-9 Code |
500 |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Reference Link |
NIOSH - Coal Worker Pneumoconiosis |
|---|
| Related Information in Haz-Map |
|---|
| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
|
|---|
| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
|
|---|
| Agents |
Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:
|
|---|
