[Frequency of lung function disturbances of industrial poultry farmers (author's transl)]

The frequency of antibodies against organic dusts of fowls were examined on 339 poultry farmers. 22% of workers had 1 antibody and 3% had 2 antibodies in the serum. The ventilation, the arterial oxygen tension, the residual volume, the Slope Index, the closing volume of each person were measured in the mobile laboratory. Signs of central obstruction and equal ventilation were found in sensitized persons (2 antibodies) about four times more than non-sensitized persons. Suitable lung function screening parameters were the FEV1/FVC and the Slope Index.