[Air-conditioner disease. Results of an industrial medicine survey (author's transl)].
The results of a survey conducted in a company employing 1850 persons working in air-conditioned premises are reported. One hundred and five persons were examined, including 790 who mostly complained of respiratory disorders and 20 controls. Regular check-ups during the last two years have failed to reveal any serious disease. The most frequent complaints were rhinitis and tracheitis, especially among female employees. No alveolitis was observed. The finding of Bacillus subtilis in samples of ambient air and air-conditioner filters in conjunction with the presence of precipitating antibodies against crude extracts from these samples, suggested that the respiratory disorders might have been due to this microorganism. A multifactorial analysis demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between clinical symptoms and immunological disorders. The air-conditioner disease, therefore, may present as a benign condition.
D000328:Adult; D000389:Air Conditioning; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000209:etiology; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000209:etiology
La maladie des climatiseurs. Résultats d'une enquête de médecine du travail.