Medical surveillance for occupational respiratory diseases

Three simple procedures should be used to monitor industrial populations for the development of respiratory disease: (1) History, (2) chest x-ray, and (3) spirometry. The history should be complete and include occupational as well as medical information. Only a P-A x-ray examination of the chest is necessary. Accurate performance of spirometry with reliable equipment can provide useful evidence of physiologic impairment. Serial test results from each employee should be carefully compared to best assess the early development of occupational respiratory disease.