[Contribution of medical files for mining workers in Burkina Fasso]

The inhalation of silica dust stemming from traditional mining in Burkina Faso is associated with a high amount of pneumoconiosis cases. A medical consultation performed before and after the hiring of a mine worker should allow authorities to make the diagnosis.

A cross-sectional retrospective study with descriptive aim was conducted from January, 2010 until December, 2012 including mine workers admitted in several health centers in Ouagadougou for medical check-ups. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire informed during the exploration of their files.

331 male mine workers, with an average age of 33.05 ± 5.9 years old [range: 21-54]. Among them, 224 (67.7%) had come for a pre-employment medical examination (PME).The consumption of tobacco and alcohol were found at more than 40 % of the worker of mine in the PME. No respiratory dysfunctions and very few thoracic radiographic anomalies (TR) had been recorded during the mine workers' PMEs. During the annual medical examination (AME) respiratory dysfunctional signs were recorded in 63.9% of the workers, dominated by exertional dyspnea (19.6%). Spirometry revealed obstructive ventilatory disorders in 40.9% of the worker. The TR showed small rounded opacities of type "p" and "q" in 33.3% of the cases. 57 worker (25.4%) were declared unfit during this AME.

The medical check-up remains a strong avenue for the prevention of occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis in all mine workers. They should serve not only as an individual precaution but as a collective measure.