| Medical clearance for respirator use: sensitivity and specificity of a questionnaire. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 10086200 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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BACKGROUND: OSHA regulations require that workers receive medical clearance prior to respirator use, and recently, a detailed questionnaire has been provided to assist with this purpose. However, there are limited published data on the sensitivity and specificity of self-administered questionnaires for identifying individuals who may safely wear a respirator. METHODS: We tested 474 consecutive workers at a Department of Energy complex. After completing the self-administered questionnaire, all workers received a standardized physician evaluation including interview, physical examination, and spirometry. The outcomes of the questionnaire assessment were compared to the outcomes of physician evaluation. RESULTS: Data for analysis were available from 413 of workers (87%). All workers received medical clearance; only 10 workers (2.4%) received work restrictions. The questionnaire demonstrated 100% sensitivity in identifying workers who required work restrictions, but had specificity of only 19%. Compared to physician evaluation, the questionnaire had modest sensitivity to the detection of chronic medical conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the rates of medical clearance for respirator use are very high, and that a self-administered questionnaire may be appropriate for medical clearance in certain settings. It is recommended that the policy of routine physician evaluation and spirometry for respirator clearance be re-examined. |
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Authors:
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G P Pappas; T K Takaro; B Stover; N Beaudet; M Salazar; J Calcagni; D Shoop; S Barnhart |
Publication Detail:
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Type: Clinical Trial; Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
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Title: American journal of industrial medicine Volume: 35 ISSN: 0271-3586 ISO Abbreviation: Am. J. Ind. Med. Publication Date: 1999 Apr |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 1999-05-04 Completed Date: 1999-05-04 Revised Date: 2007-11-14 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 8101110 Medline TA: Am J Ind Med Country: UNITED STATES |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 395-400 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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University of Washington, Seattle 98105, USA. |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Adult Aged Female Humans Male Middle Aged Prospective Studies Psychometrics / methods* Questionnaires* Respiratory Protective Devices* Sensitivity and Specificity Single-Blind Method Work Capacity Evaluation* |
| Grant Support | |
ID/Acronym/Agency:
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R01 OH1 2031/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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