Abstract

CAMARGO GARCIA, Katlhyn Vanessa; FERNANDEZ LUCAS, Pablo Luis; MALO NEGRIN, Mireymar  and  SANTABASILISA DALMAU, Anna. Scientific Evidence relating Sandblasting and Neumopathies. Med. segur. trab. [online]. 2016, vol.62, n.245, pp.381-401. ISSN 1989-7790.

A significant number of studies have recently shown an association between sandblasting use the development of severe varieties of silicosis. Silicosis is a diffuse interstitial pulmonary disease caused by the continuous inhalation of dust containing crystal silica. It has no effective treatment, so the variable presentation and clinical course makes an early prevention and diagnosis two main aspects in its control. Sources of silica exposure are very diverse and almost exclusively work-related. Sandblasting is a medical method which projects blast of air or steam in combination with sand to perform tasks such as clean, polish and improve hard surfaces. The aims of this review are to identify the scientific evidence in the association between using sandblasting use and silicosis development, to determine the dose-response relationship, to identify the associated sandblasting risk factors, to describe vulnerability conditions, to analyze the PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) role in preventing illness among workers and to determine comorbidity. A literature search has been performed between 2006 and December 2015 in the following scientific databases: Medline, Scopus, Lilacs, Ibecs and OSH. 20 articles were selected taking into account the level of evidence according with SIGN criteria (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network), and the fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of this systematic review suggest that there is a conclusive association between developing silicosis in its most aggressive pathological varieties, and using sandblasting. However, due to the cross-sectional and descriptive predominant design of most of the studies, better designed study strategies are required in order to get better levels of evidence.

Keywords : sandblasting; sandblaster; silica; pneumopathies; silicosis; denim.

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