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Environmental Medicine: Integrating a Missing Element into Medical Education
lung volumes. True restrictive disease generally manifests as a decrease in total lung capacity with normal or residual volume, which can be determined using both the plethysmographic and helium dilution methods.
Sputum Studies
❑ Sputum studios are not useful for screening patients exposed to asbestos.
Sputum inspection for asbestos fibers or ferruginous bodies has been advised, but most investigators now agree that the lack of sensitivity and specificity precludes their use for screening purposes. Sputum cytology remains useful as a diagnostic test for neoplasia and lung cancer, however.
Other Tests
Recent studies suggest that lymphocyte abnormalities (particularly T-cell) correlate with both asbestos-related malignancies and asbestosis. However, because these findings are in the early investigative stage, they are not clinically useful. There is no blood test that is useful for diagnosing asbestos-associated diseases.
(6) Is the father (aged 50) of the patient described in the case study at risk of asbestos-associated disease; if so, what medical evaluation should be undertaken?
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