title: [Physicians' knowledge on the work-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be induced by the work environment conditions. According to the estimates, 10-20% of all COPD cases are associated with occupational exposure to dusts and irritant gases. However, in 2014, only 11 cases of work-related COPD were recognized in Poland. The aim of the study was to analyze the reasons for the low incidence of work-related COPD in the context of pulmonologists' knowledge about occupational risk factors and procedures on reporting suspected occupational diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey included 94 pulmonologists randomly selected out of 225 specialists registered at the Local Physicians Chamber in Łódź. The study was performed anonymously with the use of original questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than a half of the surveyed pulmonologists identified environmental risk factors for COPD correctly, while only 23.4% properly identified the main occupational risk factors as the cause of COPD. Only 58.5% of the pulmonologists always asked their patients suffering from COPD about their job/profession and 60.6% of them did not have any knowledge about procedures on reporting suspected occupational diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The physicians rarely ask patients suffering from COPD about their job/profession and the relationship between their ailments and occupational exposure. What is more, they do not know legal regulations on proper referral of a patient with a suspected case of occupational disease. The results of the study clearly indicate that there is an urgent need for increasing pulmonologists' knowledge on work-related COPD. Med Pr 2016;67(3):375-384.
authors.affiliation: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Chorób Zawodowych / Department of Occupational Diseases). klen.an@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleniewska
authors.affiliation: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Chorób Zawodowych / Department of Occupational Diseases). jolantaw@imp.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walusiak-Skorupa
authors.affiliation: Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi / Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Pneumonologii i Alergologii / Department of Pneumonology and Allergy). wojciech.piotrowski@umed.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Piotrowski
authors.affiliation: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Zakład Epidemiologii Środowiskowej / Department of Environmental Epidemiology). and.mar@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcinkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Dział Zarządzania Projektami, Innowacji i Wdrożeń / Department of Projects' Management, Innovation and Implementation). kamila@imp.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szcześniak
authors.affiliation: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Oddział Chorób Zawodowych / Department of Occupational Diseases). martaz@imp.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiszniewska
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011044:Poland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: COPD; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; dusts; irritant gases; medical certification; occupational disease