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NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

ASBESTOS MEDITEXT ® - Medical Management Page 1 of 15

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ASBESTOS MEDITEXT ® - Medical Management

3.0 CLINICAL EFFECTS 3.1 SUMMARY OF EXPOSURE 3.1.1 ACUTE EXPOSURE A. No well-documented fatalities have been reported as a result of acute exposure. Fulminant pulmonary asbestosis following massive short-term industrial exposure is now only of historical interest. Asbestos toxicity is usually manifested after a long latent period. The respiratory tract is the usual target organ. There are two main categories of asbestos diseases. 1. Fibrosis/effusions of the lungs and pleura (asbestosis). 2. Asbestos-related cancers, primarily mesothelioma of the pleura and peritoneum and bronchogenic carcinoma. B. Cor pulmonale is secondary to fibrosis and increased resistance to pulmonary capillary blood flow. C. Autoimmune disorders may be more common in patients with overt asbestosis.

3.1.2 CHRONIC EXPOSURE A. Signs and symptoms are rarely acute in onset. Pulmonary fibrosis or lung cancer are delayed effects.

3.4 HEENT 3.4.5 THROAT A. LARYNGEAL ASBESTOSIS - Hyperplastic chronic laryngitis was identified in 10 workers in an asbestos cement factory (Kambic et al, 1989). 3 of 4 tissue specimens examined by scanning electron microscopy had asbestos fibers on the epithelial surface.

3.5 CARDIOVASCULAR 3.5.1 ACUTE EFFECTS A. COR PULMONALE 1. In patients with asbestosis, severe pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension secondary to increased resistance to pulmonary capillary blood flow can cause compensatory hypertrophy of the right heart (ATSDR, 1990). B. PERICARDITIS 1. Chronic constrictive pericarditis has been associated with asbestos exposure (Fischbein

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