Study of some health changes among workers exposed to carbon monoxide

ABSTRACT

This study included 93 workers occupationally exposed to CO in Misr Chemical Industries Company which is located at west district in Alexandria City, 54 of whom were smokers and 46 control subjects 17 of whom were smokers. Each subject was interviewed for his personal, occupational, medical histories and history of smoking habits, drug intake as well as parasitic infections. This was followed by medical examination, measurement of height, weight, blood pressure, performance of ECG as well as measurement of pulmonary function. Fasting blood samples were collected for the assessment of carboxyhemoglobin [COHb], serum thiocyanate, some liver function tests such as AST, ALT, GGT and LDH, the lipid profile including total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol, cholesterol content of HDL and LDL, hematological examination and trace elements including Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, Ca, Na and K. Smoking when accompanied by CO exposure led to increased levels of COHb, the prevalence of significant symptoms and signs and sinus bradycardia and decrease in the heart rate and lipid metabolism was found to be affected specially total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Exposure to CO led to increased levels of AST and ALT, affected the lipid metabolism especially total lipids, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol and hematological parameters such as decrease in bleeding time and increase in platelets count and prothrombin time as well as decrease in the levels of Zn, Cu and Ca