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Pulmonary disease associated with cafeteria flooding.

M J Hodgson, P R Morey, M Attfield

    Archives of Environmental Health
    |March 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Office workers experienced respiratory illness linked to water leaks. Lung function tests, specifically single breath carbon-monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO), showed significant differences in affected individuals, indicating its use in building-related respiratory disease investigations.

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    Area of Science:

    • Environmental Health
    • Occupational Medicine
    • Pulmonary Medicine

    Background:

    • Office workers reported a cluster of respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chills, muscle aches, and chest tightness.
    • The illness outbreak was epidemiologically associated with reported water leaks within the building's cafeteria area.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the association between building-related environmental factors and respiratory illness in office workers.
    • To evaluate the utility of pulmonary function testing, specifically single breath carbon-monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO), in diagnosing building-associated respiratory disease.

    Main Methods:

    • A case-control study design was employed to compare affected workers (cases) with unaffected workers (non-cases).
    • Pulmonary function was assessed using single breath carbon-monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) measurements.

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  • Serological testing for precipitating antibodies to microbial agents present in the building was conducted.

    • Main Results:

    • Mean DLCO was significantly lower in cases compared to non-cases.
    • A significant negative correlation was observed between the number of symptoms and the percent of predicted DLCO.
    • No significant differences in antibody prevalence were found between cases and non-cases, suggesting microbial agents were not the primary cause.

    Conclusions:

    • Water leaks in the office environment were associated with a distinct respiratory illness among workers.
    • Single breath carbon-monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) is a valuable tool for the field assessment of building-associated respiratory conditions.
    • Further investigation into non-microbial environmental factors related to water damage is warranted.